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South Africa captain Temba Bavuma agreed India were trapped in their own web after his team defeated the hosts by 30 runs in the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. South Africa clinched their first Test win on Indian soil after 15 years, after India suffered a terrible batting collapse on a rank turner to fall short in a 124-run chase in their second innings.
None of the Indian batters, barring Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, looked comfortable out in the middle as the even bounce and the sharp turn on the wicket saw the hosts collapse like a pack of cards. India were bowled out for 93 while chasing 124 to suffer their fourth defeat in the last six Test matches at home.
Speaking at the post-match presser, Bavuma delivered a telling assessment after India's defeat. The South Africa skipper agreed India were beaten in their own game after their batters failed to perform in spin-friendly conditions that the hosts asked for. Bavuma insisted his team were aware of the spin challenge and adapted better to the conditions at the Eden Gardens.
"Yeah, it's probably true. I think the wicket that was prepared is what I understand was asked on their side. We've come here knowing that the wickets are going to be spinner-friendly," said the South Africa skipper when asked if he agreed India were beaten in their own game in the Test match.
Bavuma was arguably the standout performer with the bat in the Test match as he was the only batter to score a half-century on the difficult Eden Gardens track. With the ball spinning viciously, the South Africa skipper displayed strong defensive technique and remained composed under pressure to score an unbeaten 55 and help his team set up a match-winning target of 124 runs for India in their second innings.
The pitch was the focus of attention throughout the Test match, which concluded in just two and a half days. Several former cricketers and experts bashed the Eden Gardens curator for creating a pitch which looked unusually dry and produced a sharp turn from Day 1.
However, India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the curator, insisting that the pitch was in line with the hosts' demands. The underprepared deck saw batters struggle to read the line and length of deliveries as bowlers dominated the proceedings on the controversial track.
Bavuma admitted there was an unusual turn on the wicket, which South Africa had expected from Day 3 or 4, however, he insisted that his team were prepared to face conditions like these when they arrived in India. The South Africa skipper also reflected on his experience of playing Test matches in India, admitting that he has rarely seen a match go into the 4th day unless the home team have posted a big total on the board.
"Maybe from a spin point of view, you’d expect the way the wicket played more from day three or day four onwards. But that being said, that’s what you can expect when you come to India," said the South Africa captain.
"I don’t think I’ve ever played on a day five in India. Nor have I played day four. Unless they’ve scored 600," he added.
India will look to draw the series level at 1-1 when the two teams meet in the second Test at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, starting Saturday, November 2022. India slipped to the fourth spot on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table after the defeat, while South Africa rose to the 2nd spot.
