All eyes were on Kolkata's Eden Gardens as India and South Africa clashed in a riveting first Test of the two-match series, but few could have predicted the drama that unfolded over the course of just two and a half days. On November 16, 2025, South Africa stunned the cricketing world by clinching a 30-run victory over the hosts, marking their first Test win on Indian soil in 15 years. The result not only sent shockwaves through the Indian camp but also sparked a heated debate about the state of Test pitches and the very spirit of the format.
The match, which ended by Tea on Day 3, was dominated by a pitch that had everyone talking. From the opening hour, it was clear that the surface was anything but ordinary. Variable bounce, sharp turn, and unpredictable movement challenged batters from both sides. Yet, opinions about the pitch were as divided as the fortunes of the two teams.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir was adamant in his post-match defense of the surface. "First of all, there were no demons in the wicket. This wasn't an unplayable wicket. Temba Bavuma made runs, Axar made runs, Washington scored," he told reporters, emphasizing that the pitch was exactly what the team had asked for. Gambhir added, "If you have a decent technique, mental toughness, and, most importantly, the right temperament, you can make runs. If you grind and bat long enough, you can score. Players who defended well, like KL Rahul and Washington Sundar, they scored. This was not a pitch where you cannot make runs. We have played on tracks like these before."
But not everyone saw it that way. Former South African pace legend Dale Steyn, offering his take on JioHotstar, strongly disagreed with Gambhir’s assessment. "He said there weren’t demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot," Steyn remarked. "Some balls are spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one is skidding through, hitting the pad, and you’re out. That’s pretty tough to bat on. When batters don’t have the option to score runs, the application of defense becomes the biggest key. That itself means batting is really difficult." Steyn pointed to Washington Sundar and South African skipper Temba Bavuma as the most solid batters on display, but insisted that even they were never truly in control. "Even they looked like they could have gotten out at any time; a ball had their number on it. But their defense was the most solid. This wicket certainly has demons in it, that’s for sure. Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it, for sure."
The numbers back up the controversy. Only one half-century was scored in the entire match, and it came in the third innings—South African captain Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten 55, a knock that proved crucial as the visitors eked out 153 runs in their second turn at bat. Never before on Indian soil had a Test had to wait until the third innings for an individual fifty, a testament to the difficulty of the batting conditions.
The contest itself was a see-saw battle. South Africa managed 159 in their first innings, with Aiden Markram (31) and Wiaan Mulder (24) providing some resistance, but Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul kept the visitors in check. India responded with 189, eking out a 30-run lead thanks to KL Rahul’s gritty 39 and Washington Sundar’s 29. Marco Jansen’s three wickets and Simon Harmer’s four-wicket haul ensured the lead was not insurmountable.
With the match finely poised, South Africa’s second innings saw Bavuma stand tall amid the chaos. His unbeaten 55 anchored the side as they posted 153, setting India a target of 124. Ravindra Jadeja’s four wickets and Mohammed Siraj’s two kept India in the hunt, but the pitch’s demons—or lack thereof, depending on whom you asked—were about to have their say.
India’s chase never got off the ground. Simon Harmer, spinning a web for the second time in the match, took another four wickets, while Keshav Maharaj finished things off with two quick blows. The hosts were bundled out for just 93 runs, with only Axar Patel offering fleeting resistance. The home crowd watched in disbelief as South Africa celebrated a famous win, one that not only ended a 15-year drought but also reignited the debate about Test cricket’s future in the subcontinent.
After the match, Gambhir refused to blame his batters, reiterating his faith in the team. "I’ve said it before, we lose together, we win together," he stated. "It’s not fair that we start putting the blame on the batters as well. I think they’ve tried everything possible. They gave everything they had. But yes, we still need to keep getting better if you want to play on these kind of games."
Yet, the criticism from former players wasn’t limited to Steyn. Anil Kumble, speaking alongside Steyn, recalled that he hadn’t seen an Eden Gardens surface like this since his U-19 days. Cheteshwar Pujara, another former India stalwart, highlighted the troubling trend of pitches where luck, not skill, becomes the deciding factor. "Surfaces like these make luck, not skill, the most important factor," Pujara asserted, pointing to the growing prevalence of such wickets since the COVID-19 break. The concern, he argued, was that a Test ending inside three days is no good advertisement for the format and robs young players of a fair chance to develop.
The defeat had immediate ramifications for India’s World Test Championship (WTC) campaign as well. Having slipped from third to fourth in the standings, India now holds a points percentage (PCT) of 54.16 after eight matches, just ahead of Pakistan. South Africa, meanwhile, surged into third place with a PCT of 66.67, equal to Sri Lanka. Australia remains the table-topper with a perfect record.
Looking ahead, the pressure is squarely on India as they prepare for the second Test in Guwahati, starting November 22, 2025. A series-levelling win would see them reclaim third place in the WTC race, while a drawn match would keep them in fourth. However, a 0-2 whitewash could send them tumbling to fifth, a scenario that would amplify the scrutiny on both the team and the pitches they play on.
For now, the Eden Gardens Test will be remembered as much for its controversy as its cricket. The debate over spin-friendly surfaces, the role of luck, and the future of Test cricket in India is far from settled. But as the teams regroup for Guwahati, one thing is certain—the eyes of the cricketing world will be watching every ball, every turn, and every bounce, eager to see how the next chapter unfolds.
