India, Nov. 12 -- A lengthy, animated discussion between the Indian team management and the Eden Gardens pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee, turned heads on Tuesday. A media report had revealed that India were not particularly happy with the surface for the first Test match against South Africa, which will get underway on Friday in Kolkata, as Shubman Gill had summoned Sujan for a 15-minute chat. Gautam Gambhir, too, had a long discussion with the latter. However, Sujan maintained that the discussion centred purely on the team's pitch preference.

The Kolkata Test holds significance. Not only is the iconic venue hosting a Test for the first time since the historic pink-ball game in 2019, but South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions, wi...