Overview
- South Africa beat India by 30 runs in Kolkata, with the hosts bowled out for 93 while chasing 124 on a turning, unpredictable pitch.
- Head coach Gautam Gambhir insisted the surface was exactly what India asked for and blamed poor application, as curator Sujan Mukherjee said he prepared the pitch as directed.
- Sunil Gavaskar urged teams to leave pitch preparation to curators and linked India’s batting frailties to reduced Ranji Trophy participation, while Jason Gillespie called for curator independence and other greats criticized the wicket.
- India returned to training at Eden Gardens, where Gambhir was seen sharing a cordial moment with the curator during an optional session two days after the loss.
- Captain Shubman Gill was hospitalized with a neck issue and is unlikely to travel to Guwahati, with Sai Sudharsan viewed as the leading replacement option for the must-win second Test starting November 22.