Former Indian opener Sadagopan Ramesh slammed the head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team support staff for requesting a spin-friendly pitch in the opening Test match against South Africa, knowing their own batters could struggle on the surface. 

India was bundled out for 93 runs in the run-chase as the batting unit could not come up with a collective effort. Gambhir lamented the batting effort after the 30-run loss and said the target of 124 was chaseable.

Ramesh said India have not learned their lessons after they were whitewashed 3-0 by New Zealand in 2024 when they decided to play on rank turners.

The former left-hander said on his YouTube Channel, “It was said that the young side will learn to counter the conditions as time goes by. Then why was such a wicket requested? When Sri Lanka had beaten India in the ODI series, Maheesh Theekshana came out and said they purposely gave turning tracks to Indian batters. Then New Zealand also beat India. All of this tells the story about the current Indian batters’ inability to survive on turning tracks despite which why was such decks dished out?”

Ramesh said Gambir’s comments that Indian batters didn’t play well on a spin-friendly pitch doesn’t make much sense to him.

“Gambhir said the curators gave the wicket they requested but to admit that the Indian batters don’t have the ability to play well on them makes no sense to me. One other thing he said is that the Indian side is experienced. But only two players from the South African squad have played at least five Tests in India – Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada. Rabada was not in the eleven, so they only had one player to have featured in at least five Tests in India. But they won. It goes to show which side is more inexperienced.”

India and South Africa will take on each other in the second Test at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, from Saturday onwards.