Sunil Gavaskar backed Gautam Gambhir’s stance on the Eden Gardens surface, insisting the defeat had more to do with India’s batting than the pitch itself.

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind Gautam Gambhir amid the debate over the Eden Gardens pitch used for the first Test against South Africa. The match was played on a sharp-turning surface—one Gambhir openly acknowledged requesting from the curator—but the plan crumbled as India slipped to defeat, with their batters unable to cope with the Proteas spinners while chasing a modest 124-run target.

No Indian batter could reach a half-century in the opening Test, while South African captain Temba Bavuma stood out with a determined 55 in the second innings—an effort that proved crucial in turning the contest in

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