Eden Gardens pitch slammed as ‘mockery of Test cricket’; ex-cricketers call it unplayable

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has launched a scathing attack on the Eden Gardens pitch during the ongoing first Test against South Africa, calling it a “complete mockery of Test cricket” and declaring “#RIPTESTCRICKET” in a fiery social media outburst.

“Even Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar cannot survive on this pitch,” Harbhajan said on Day 2, as 17 wickets fell in a single session. “This is not cricket. This is a shame. The match is almost over on the second day. Where is the fight? Where is the balance?”

The surface—dry, cracked and offering vicious turn and uneven bounce from the first morning—has dominated proceedings. A total of 33 wickets have fallen in under two days, with spinners claiming 28 of them.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan echoed Harbhajan’s fury, tweeting: “Awful pitch in Kolkata. Total carnage. This isn’t Test cricket; it’s a lottery.”

He added that such tracks “kill the contest” and make a mockery of five-day cricket.

Ex-India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, commentating for the host broadcaster, was stunned by the deterioration.

“The pitch at Eden,” he posted on X, while former batting coach Sanjay Bangar rated the surface 5.5/10, saying: “It’s unplayable. The bounce is inconsistent; batters are pre-empting dismissals, not playing their shots.”

Even Dinesh Karthik revealed a telling detail: “The pitch wasn’t watered the night before the match. That’s why it broke up so early.”

South Africa’s former pacer Vernon Philander took a more pragmatic view: “Talk about the players, not the pitch. Test cricket is about adapting.” But batting coach Ashwell Prince admitted the surface had eroded trust: “You can’t commit to a shot when the ball shoots or stays low randomly.”

As India closed in on a 1-0 series lead, the debate over the pitch overshadowed the result. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch offered a lone defence: “Not everyone’s cup of tea, but every ball is an event. Watching survival is fun.”

With the ICC likely to issue a “poor” rating and possible demerit points for Eden Gardens, Harbhajan’s warning lingered: “If we keep serving this, Test cricket won’t need opponents to die: we’ll kill it ourselves.”