India has failed to chase 124 against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, losing the first Test match of the series by 30 runs.
The pitch heavily favored bowlers, and while the home side was able to utilize the conditions well, the visitors had the last laugh, with Simon Harmer tearing through the opposition.
This is only a two-match Test series, the second and final fixture of which will be played in Guwahati from November 22, 2025. Needless to say, India would want to bounce back and level outcome.
India Fall 31 Short Of The Target
Batting first, South Africa put up a score of 159 in the first innings. India replied with a 30-run lead, but by then it was clear that batting on this surface wouldn’t be easy by any means.
Ravindra Jadeja picked four wickets in the second innings against South Africa. Two wickets were picked by Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj, and one-each by Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel.
A target of 124 runs was established in the end, which India failed to chase down.
Their openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, fell to Marco Jansen on 0 and 1, respectively, making the innings difficult from the get-go.
Simon Harmer, who had troubled India in their first innings, once again proved to be too much to handle, picking four wickets.
Washington Sundar’s Effort In Vain
Washington Sundar was the only silver lining for the home side in this match, who held the fort for an extended period of time, as wickets tumbled around him.
He scored 31 off 92 deliveries. The runs may seem low but as mentioned, it was proving incredibly difficult to score runs on this turf.
Axar Patel, too, tried to accelerate, but fell to Keshav Maharaj after dealing a few blows. Maharaj then struck on the very next delivery, bowling the opposition out on 93.
India cannot win this series now, but they can draw it with a victory in Guwahati.
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