Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra criticized the Eden Gardens pitch on the third day (Sunday, November 16) of the first Test of the two-match series against South Africa in Kolkata. The conditions have surprised even the Gautam Gambhir-coached Indian team, with both sides struggling to score runs throughout the Test match.
Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma opted to bat first, and they were dismissed for 159. India ended the opening day at 37/1 and managed 189 in their first innings, securing only a narrow 30-run lead. The pitch offered so much assistance to the bowlers that 15 wickets fell on the second day (Saturday) in the Kolkata Test.
South Africa resumed the third day’s play at 93/7 in their second innings, with a lead of 63 runs. Ravindra Jadeja picked up 4 wickets for 29 runs, while Kuldeep Yadav added two wickets to keep the pressure on the Proteas on the second day.
Temba Bavuma scored a gritty half-century on a pitch where no one else had managed to cross 40 in the previous three innings. He scored an unbeaten 55 as South Africa were bowled out for 153 in 54 overs. Bavuma became the first player to hit a fifty in the low-scoring game.
Bavuma and Corbin Bosch stretched the lead with a 44-run stand. Bosch scored 25 before Jasprit Bumrah broke the partnership. Mohammed Siraj wrapped up the tail by removing Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj in the same over. The visitors set a 124-run target on a deteriorating track.
Gautam Gambhir Wanted a Surface as Difficult as This - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra questioned the logic behind producing such an extreme surface for the Kolkata Test. Chopra stated that it was the first time in India that a half-century arrived only in the third innings.
The former opener added that the pitch appeared to have been altered by the team management, including Gautam Gambhir, late in the preparation process, with uneven bounce, differing behavior from each end, and an unstable top layer.
"First ever Test match on Indian soil where the first individual 50 came in the third innings of the Test. I’m not willing to believe that the Indian team wanted a surface as difficult as this one…unless someone can confirm to the contrary. #IndvSA," Chopra wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
First ever Test match on Indian soil where the first individual 50 came in the third innings of the Test. I’m not willing to believe that the Indian team wanted a surface as difficult as this one…unless someone can confirm to the contrary. #IndvSA
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 16, 2025India Get Off to a Shaky Start to Run Chase in First Test
India got off to a shaky start in the run chase. South Africa struck twice to put the hosts under pressure. Yashasvi Jaiswal lasted only four balls before falling for a duck in the first over, giving the visitors an early breakthrough.
Marco Jansen then removed KL Rahul for just one run in the third over, leaving India stunned at 1/2. On a surface that continued to trouble batters, the hosts needed a steady partnership to calm nerves and regain control of the chase.
By the lunch break, India were at 10/2 after seven overs, with Washington Sundar (5) and Dhruv Jurel (4). It is worth mentioning that captain Shubman Gill was unavailable to bat for the remainder of the innings. The absence of Gill added pressure on the remaining lineup.
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