The International Cricket Council (ICC) has spared Kolkata’s Eden Gardens a poor rating, in line with Gautam Gambhir’s assessment amid the controversy that followed India’s shock Test defeat in South Africa in November. The match was over in two and a half days and Temba Bavuma’s team secured victory in 30 runs.
The surface came under intense scrutiny after the ball began to spin and show uneven bounce from the opening day, prompting a widespread response. Neither team managed to cross the 200-run mark in the match, while India were bundled out for 93 in their second innings – the first time they had been dismissed for less than 100 in the fourth innings of a Test. The defeat proved decisive in the two-match series, which India eventually lost 2–0.
Despite the criticism, the ICC awarded Eden Gardens a “satisfactory” rating, sparing it a harsher rating. In contrast, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which hosted the Boxing Day Ashes Test, was rated as “unsatisfactory” – the second worst rating in the ICC pitch-rating system. This Test ended in two days, drawing fierce criticism in both England and Australia and reportedly leading to financial losses in the millions for Cricket Australia.
The decision was particularly startling given that it came just days after Sunil Gavaskar suggested the Melbourne pitch should escape a poor rating. Instead, the ICC doubled down on its stance on the MCG surface, offering a fairly favorable assessment of Kolkata’s spin-friendly wicket.
Gautam Gambhir used to defend the Eden Gardens pitch and its curator, who insisted that the surface did not contain “demons”, pointing instead to the inability of the Indian batting unit to cope with the conditions. Crucially, Gambhir also revealed that the team management demanded a pitch that behaved in the manner seen in Kolkata.
At the time, Gavaskar supported both the pitch and Gambhir, even though several former cricketers – including Cheteshwar Pujara and Harbhajan Singh – called the surface unplayable. However, Sourav Ganguly, president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, admitted that the Eden Gardens pitch was far from ideal for Test cricket.
Gavaskar also questioned India’s failure to learn from Bavuma’s approach in the third innings. The former skipper praised the South African skipper’s temperament and discipline after he played the decisive knock under pressure.
Bavuma faced 136 deliveries for his unbeaten 55, forming a crucial partnership with the lower middle order to overcome South Africa’s 30-run deficit and set India a challenging target of 124.
Meanwhile, the pitch at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, which hosted the second Test, received the highest possible rating of “very good”. India were completely outplayed in this match, losing by 408 runs on a more typical subcontinental surface.
INDIA VS SOUTH AFRICA TEST SERIES SPOTTING AND OUTFIELD RATING
Spacing: Satisfactory | Outfield: Very good
Spacing: Very good | Outfield: Very good
Spacing: Unsuitable | Outfield: Very good
HOW THE ICC IS EVALUATED
The ICC’s Pitch and Outfield Ratings system evaluates pitches after international matches to ensure a fair match between bat and ball and to hold host committees accountable to the conditions. Under the current framework, match umpires rate pitches in four main categories – very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory and unsuitable – based on factors such as bounce, carry, consistency and balance. A Very Good rating reflects a balanced surface, while Satisfactory indicates an acceptable lane that may have minor issues but still supports competitive play. Unsatisfactory and inappropriate ratings indicate conditions that significantly favor one discipline or raise safety concerns, which may result in demerit points or venue penalties if poor standards persist.
India are currently placed sixth in the World Cup rankings having lost four of their nine Tests in the current cycle. They are next scheduled to play a two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August and travel to New Zealand later this year for two more Tests. India will conclude the WTC cycle with a five-Test home series against Australia in early 2027.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
December 30, 2025
