India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed the growing debate around the spin-friendly surface used in the opening Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens. According to him, the criticism is unnecessary because India has historically prepared such turning tracks. The team’s 30-run defeat—despite having to chase only 124—sparked comparisons with last year’s 0-3 loss to New Zealand, where Kiwi spinners dominated. Yet Bhuvneshwar refrained from linking the surface to India’s downfall.
He emphasised that this kind of pitch is not new and India’s use of spin-favouring wickets has long been the norm. He reiterated that results fluctuate, explaining that “This is not the first time a spin-friendly track has been prepared. No one raised this question before because India was winning. And winning and losing are part of the game. It’s not that the team has not lost before, or that it has lost for the first time. I don’t think it’s (defeat) a big worry for me.” His comments came during the launch of the CricGiri app, where he serves as co-founder.
Team Selection, Gill’s Injury, And Captaincy Responsibilities
Discussing India’s decision to field four spinners—Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar—Bhuvneshwar said the call was aligned with pitch conditions rather than experimentation. He noted that “The way the wicket was prepared, we all know that the requirement was for four spinners (Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar). We had some good spinners, it was a turning track, and the way the match went, it was a good decision to play four spinners.”
The absence of captain Shubman Gill due to a neck injury was a setback for India, but Bhuvneshwar refused to comment on workload-related decisions. Instead, he stressed Gill’s ability to manage his responsibilities, saying that “Gill has become captain recently. If he so desires, he would speak out for himself. He is part of the think-tank, decision-making, so if he really needs rest, he will say that he needs rest. Mentally and physically, he is in a position to say that.”
IPL Concerns And RCB’s Mindset After Stadium Tragedy
Looking ahead to the IPL, where Bhuvneshwar will return to the Royal Challengers setup next season, he was asked about the psychological impact of the tragic crowd crush outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this year. The incident, which killed eleven people and injured many more, left RCB under scrutiny. Bhuvneshwar remarked that the team’s mindset will depend on discussions during the IPL camp and on players’ form before the tournament.
He explained that “There are so many tournaments before the IPL, so when the IPL camp starts, a lot of things would be discussed, what frame of mind the team is in and what is going on. A lot will depend on how the players do in the tournaments preceding the IPL and how a player enters the IPL, so all those things will matter.”
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