Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has launched a scathing attack on Indian pitches, saying that even star players like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar cannot survive on such tracks. The pitch in India came under scrutiny again after their humiliating 30-run loss against South Africa over three days at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
After India’s loss, Harbhajan Singh expressed his displeasure during his YouTube show, expresses concern over the direction Test cricket is taking in the country. He argued that such surfaces undermine the integrity and future of the longest format of the game.
Harbhajan compared Indian pitches to those used in England and said they provide the thrill of Test cricket.
“Test cricket has been completely overhauled. Rest in peace. I don’t think there is anything left of Test cricket… at least Indian Test cricket. In England, the matches were fantastic. We raved about how the pitch behaved and how the guys won matches. That was real Test cricket – there was excitement, you could feel the effort. But this? These pitches are bad,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
He also mentioned that stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar would find it difficult to survive on such pitches as the ball spins unpredictably.
“Wherever you bowl, the ball spins unpredictably. The batsman doesn’t know what to do. No matter how good your technique is – even if you’re Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli – you’re not going to survive on pitches like that. One ball will shoot up, the other will stay low, the next one will spin absurdly and you’ll be out. And it’s not about skill here, it’s about everything new.” he added.
Pitches in India have been under the scanner since November 2024 as the hosts have faltered time and again on the spinning surfaces, after being whitewashed by New Zealand 0-3. With India trailing 0-1 in the ongoing series, we will see what kind of surface the Gautam Gambhir-led team management opts for for the second match in Guwahati.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
November 18, 2025
