RIP Test cricket in India, not even Tendulkar or Kohli would survive on such pitches: Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh has issued a sharp critique of India’s Test pitches after the team collapsed to a three-day defeat against South Africa in Kolkata, arguing that the surfaces are eroding the quality and credibility of red-ball cricket in the country. India’s 30-run loss at Eden Gardens added to mounting concerns over the conditions, which have repeatedly favoured extreme spin and unpredictable bounce.
Speaking on his YouTube show, the former off-spinner expressed frustration at what he sees as a longstanding pattern. He warned that India’s current approach to pitch preparation is harming not just performance but the essence of Test cricket itself. According to him, the matches are becoming one-dimensional, leaving little room for skill, adaptability or sustained contest between bat and ball.
“Test cricket has been completely RIP-ed. Rest in peace. I don't think anything is left of Test cricket... at least Indian Test cricket. In England, the matches were fantastic. We praised how the pitches behaved there and how the boys won matches. That was real Test cricket - there was thrill, you could feel the effort. But this? These pitches are bad,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
India putting tougher fights away from home
His criticism intensified as he compared current Indian surfaces to those abroad, especially in England, where India recently enjoyed competitive and hard-fought Tests. He lamented that domestic pitches have become excessively spin-friendly to the point of negating batting skill altogether.
“Wherever you bowl, the ball is turning unpredictably. The batter has no clue what to do. No matter how good your technique is - even if you are Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli - you won't survive on such pitches. One ball will shoot up, another will stay low, another will spin absurdly and you'll get out. Skill doesn't matter here; only the pitch is deciding everything. And this isn't new. This has been happening for years,” he added.
India’s surfaces have been under scrutiny since November 2024, when a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand exposed similar shortcomings. With the team now trailing 0-1 in the current series, attention turns to Guwahati, where the Shubman Gill-led team must decide what type of pitch to prepare for the second Test. The debate around India’s spinning tracks is likely to intensify, especially if results continue to tilt heavily on conditions rather than performances.
