Gambhir's Gesture For Kolkata Pitch Curator After Defeat Surprises Everyone

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee hogged the headlines after the first Test of the series against South Africa ended in the tourists' favour. Temba Bavuma's men secured a 30-run victory to go 1-0 up in the 2-match series, penalising India for their own pitch ploy. As the Eden Gardens pitch started to deteriorate on the second day, it was revealed that the surface wasn't watered for 4 consecutive days before the start of the match.

Gambhir, who spoke to the media after India's defeat, refused to blame the curator despite the nature of the result, saying the pitch was prepared exactly according to the instructions given by the Indian team management.

As questions continue to rise, a delightful visual came to the fore from the Eden Gardens on Tuesday. Gambhir, who is supervising India's practice session at the stadium ahead of the second Test, was spotted hugging the pitch curator Sujan, leaving everyone in awe and also a little surprised.

What Sujan Mukherjee said on Eden Gardens pitch:

"This pitch is not bad at all," Mukherjee said in an interview with Times Now Bangla amid the controversy.

"I know everyone is questioning this pitch. Honestly, I know how to prepare a pitch for a Test. That's exactly what I did. I did it as instructed. I don't think about what others say. Not everyone knows everything. So I do my job with dedication, and I want to continue doing that in the future as well," Mukherjee added.

Earlier, Gambhir also carried a similar sentiment on the Eden Gardens pitch, saying the pitch had no demons in it and it wasn't unplayable at all.

"It was not an unplayable wicket, there were no demons," Gambhir said at the post-match media interaction.

"If you are willing to put your head down and if you have a solid defence, if you have a temperament, you can definitely score runs," he said.

With India's next Test to be held in Guwahati, the team has no other option but to bounce back and level the series 1-1.

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