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'I hope Gautam Gambhir is listening': Sourav Ganguly asks for Mohammed Shami’s return as Eden gamble explodes
Sourav Ganguly's remark came soon after Gautam Gambhir broke his silence on the controversy surrounding the Eden Gardens pitch
Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly minced no words on Sunday as he delivered a blunt message to India head coach Gautam Gambhir: stop doctoring pitches for home dominance and trust the world-class bowling attack already in place. His remark came soon after Gambhir broke his silence on the controversy surrounding the Eden Gardens pitch, which had been under scrutiny since the start of the match, insisting the track was exactly what the team had asked for.
Speaking to NDTV, Ganguly said India must take the pitch out of the equation and focus on helping their batters post 350-plus totals, a ploy he reminded had worked during the England tour, where the Shubman Gill-led side earned a remarkable 2-2 draw in the five-Test series. He stressed that India should aim to play on good, fair surfaces and push for results over five days, rather than matches ending within three days.
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“Play on good wickets. I hope Gautam Gambhir is listening. He needs to take the wicket out of the game. Because if his batsmen are not putting up 350–400, he will not win Test matches. That’s the reason they won in England – because his batsmen put runs up on the board. He must play on good wickets. And trust his people. And win Test matches in 5 days. Not in 3 days,” Ganguly said.
On a track that was expected to aid the Indian spin attack, comprising Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, it was Shimon Harper who made the biggest impact, with his four-fer in both innings.
In a separate interview after India's 30-run defeat in Kolkata, Ganguly urged Gambhir to reconsider Mohammed Shami for a place in the Test squad. The veteran fast bowler was not picked for the home series despite his impressive show in the ongoing Ranji Trophy tournament, where he picked up 15 wickets in his first three appearances. His last Test appearance for India came in the WTC final in 2023.
"I am very fond of Gautam; he has done well in the 2011 and T20 World Cups. He will continue for a while, but he must play on good pitches in India. He must have faith in Bumrah, Siraj, and Shami. I think Shami deserves a place in this Test team. Shami and the spinners will win Test matches for him," he told Sports Tak.
The second and final game of the series will be played in Guwahati's Barsapara Stadium, starting November 22.
