Overview
- India lost the Kolkata Test by 30 runs inside three days, dismissed for 93 while chasing 124 as South Africa took a 1–0 series lead.
- Gautam Gambhir said the Eden Gardens surface had “no demons,” calling it exactly what India requested and praising curator Sujan Mukherjee.
- Anil Kumble and Dale Steyn rejected that view, citing balls turning sharply and inconsistent bounce, while Ravichandran Ashwin blamed faulty preparation and called the surface dangerous.
- Sourav Ganguly said the pitch went four days without watering at the Indian team’s request for spin-friendly conditions, a choice critics say backfired.
- Captain Shubman Gill was discharged after a neck injury during the Test, with his availability for the Guwahati match on November 22 uncertain as broader calls grow for more balanced home pitches.