Even as India edge closer to a likely win at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, there are voices dissecting all the hoopla over the pitch for the second Test of the India South Africa series and whether India were acting like worthy no.1 over the pitch brouhaha.
sachin tendulkar with umpires
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian captain, was insistent that India were doing no wrong in asking for a pitch that was more in tune with the home advantage after having lost the first Test in Nagpur.
The green grass on the Eden Gardens pitch was unsettling to the Indians, especially after the Dale Steyn orientation. But apparently the wishes of the skipper reflected in the demands of the BCCI to the Jagmohan Dalmiya chaired CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) involved too many politics for adherence.
Rumours were afloat that the only reason that a huge chunk of grass was missing once the Test got underway was because of a special request from Sachin Tendulkar. Whether that is indeed the truth is yet to be ascertained but there are skeptics questioning whether India should have panicked in the wake of the defeat and decide to cower to the home advantage rule, especially when they are playing well abroad in foreign conditions and pitches.
In that light, there are also questions over whether it is becoming for the likely no.1 Test team in the ICC Test rankings to be complaining and stooping to such tactics. Perhaps Dhoni will argue, had the pitches been prepared given to home conditions as per the original idea, team India would not have had to whine.
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