Rishabh Pant’s spirited return stands out in India’s Kolkata defeat

Rishabh Pant: India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test in Kolkata was a setback, but the match also offered a few positives. Chief among them was the return of a fully fit Rishabh Pant, who again backed his big-hitting instincts to unsettle the bowlers. While keeping wickets, he encouraged his bowlers, adjusted the field, and, as always, his one-liners added light moments.

Pant had fractured his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes in the first innings of the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July. After receiving treatment, he limped back out to resume his innings and completed his half-century. But he missed the fifth and final Test of the series, which ended 2-2, as well as the two-Test home series against the West Indies that India won 2-0.

After regaining match fitness, Pant was picked to lead India ‘A’ in two four-day unofficial ‘Tests’ against South Africa ‘A’ in Bangalore, just before the Kolkata Test. The left-hander looked completely at ease while keeping and batting, scoring 17, 90, 24 and 65 across the two matches. He was subsequently selected for the South Africa Test series after missing three matches in all.

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Bright return

Pant scored 27 in the first innings of the Kolkata Test on a difficult Eden Gardens pitch. Although he did not last long in the second innings, his presence brought thrill-a-minute entertainment for the large crowd.

His first-innings stay lasted only 24 balls, but it was enough for him to break the record for most sixes in Tests by an Indian. He had equalled Virender Sehwag’s tally of 90 sixes in Manchester and went past the retired opener by hitting two more in his 27. Pant broke the record in the 83rd innings of his 48th Test. Sehwag, however, still has more boundaries overall (1,219) compared to Pant’s 371.

Pant and injuries have had a long and difficult relationship. He survived a major car crash in December 2022, then suffered a foot fracture in July. Earlier, he sustained a Grade 1 hamstring strain while playing for Delhi Capitals in the 2020 IPL in Sharjah and was out of action for 10 days. Each time, the stockily built wicketkeeper-batsman has returned strongly.

Pitch under scrutiny

Following India’s defeat inside three days at the hands of World Test Championship winners South Africa, the Eden Gardens surface drew sharp criticism from experts. It was India’s fourth Test defeat in six home matches under coach Gautam Gambhir, who admitted that the team management had asked for “exactly” the type of pitch that was prepared.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar advised the team management to avoid giving instructions to curators. “It’s always best to leave the curator alone because he knows his job better than anyone else. When you start asking him to prepare a pitch a certain way, it can easily backfire,” he said.

Experts also questioned the Indian batters’ ability to play quality spin on a surface that assisted slow bowlers. “Why do you want to keep on persisting on these kinds of bad wickets and then blame the technique of the players? That is not right. No matter who you are, how can you survive on this wicket?” wondered former captain K. Srikkanth, responding to Gambhir’s comments.

Interestingly, in 2012-13, India captain MS Dhoni had criticised the Ahmedabad pitch after India defeated Alastair Cook’s England in the first Test — though the hosts went on to lose the four-match series 1-2. “I don’t want to see this pitch again,” he had said of the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera. Evidently, rank turners are not always the best medicine for Indian cricket and they eke out different reactions from people who matter.

Gill’s absence felt

Former chief pitch curator Daljit Singh noted that India sorely missed captain Shubman Gill, who sprained his neck after facing only three balls in the first innings and missed the second entirely.

“The pitch assisted spinners a bit, but it was not a vicious spinner. Fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Marco Jansen took wickets in Kolkata. But the Indians played poorly. Test cricket requires organised defence and temperament. A huge factor was Shubman Gill. He virtually didn’t bat in both innings due to the neck sprain. Otherwise, he would have made a difference,” the 82-year-old told Patriot.

“Eventually, the Indian team suffered. But the defeat had nothing to do with the pitch; it was not an unplayable pitch. The Indian team should look into its performance in depth. It was not impossible to bat on that pitch,” said Singh, who represented Services, Northern Punjab, Delhi and Bihar across 17 domestic seasons.

The second Test is scheduled for November 22 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati — the venue’s first Test. Should Gill miss out, as appears likely, vice-captain Rishabh Pant is expected to lead India in Test cricket for the first time.

Pitch preparation manual

A few years ago, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) published a pitch-preparation manual under the supervision of Daljit Singh, then head of the pitches and grounds committee.

The manual provides a graphic breakdown of how a Test pitch should behave across five days. After India’s defeat in Kolkata, Daljit Singh maintained that the definition of proper pitch preparation remains unchanged.

“Curators may listen to the team management and the BCCI about preparing pitches, but there is no change in the pitch preparation manual of the BCCI,” he said.

BCCI guidelines

According to the manual, an ideal Indian pitch should offer something for batsmen, pacers and spinners.

Day 1 requires consistent grass cover, some moisture in the morning and assistance for pacers. The pitch should be hard and firm, easing out in the afternoon. Excessive spin or variable bounce on Day 1 is considered poor preparation.

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Day 2 should be ideal for batting, with good bounce and carry and no sharp turn. On Day 3, signs of wear and tear should begin, providing spinners some purchase and producing gradually variable bounce.

By Day 4, deterioration should increase, assisting spinners further. Day 5 should see substantial wear, offering more support for slow bowlers and variable bounce for all.

This template did not appear to be fully followed in Kolkata, with the Eden Gardens curator stating that he had prepared the pitch the Indian team management had requested.