South Africa's spin bowlers, with Simon Harmer at the forefront, were brilliant in dismantling the Indian batting side, revealing their frailties and going almost hand-in-hand with the Proteas for the victory. It may be said that the pitch in Kolkata was not very suitable for batting but the blame was squarely on the Indian batsmen, who got out for low scores in both innings.
Without a doubt, the downfall of India was made worse by the fact that Shubman Gill had to leave the field due to an injury after only three balls, however, it is not that the loss can be attributed to this factor alone.
Cheteshwar Pujara, renowned for his ability to play long innings, analyzed India’s collapse and offered guidance for future matches on tricky surfaces. Speaking on JioStar’s show Cricket Live, Pujara said, “That was a big loss for the Indian team. But the Indian batters will have to find a way to score runs on such pitches. If the Indian team ends up playing more matches on surfaces like this, where do the scoring opportunities come from?”
He emphasized the importance of using the feet against spinners and playing positively to counter low-scoring conditions. “That is something that needs to be discussed in the team meeting. The batting coach will also have to speak to the batters. They need to use their feet, play the sweep shot, and play a little more positively on such pitches. You need to put the bowler under pressure, and that is something the Indian batters failed to do in this particular Test match,” Pujara added.
This defeat marks India’s fourth home loss against a top-tier team in as many matches. Last year, India suffered a 0-3 series defeat to New Zealand, drawing widespread criticism. Once again, the team struggled to counter Simon Harmer, who claimed eight wickets in the low-scoring encounter.
