India collapsed to 93 all out in their second innings, handing Temba Bavuma’s South Africa a remarkable 30-run victory in the first Test at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Chasing 124 — which would have been a record fourth-innings target at the venue — India unravelled almost immediately, losing openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul for just one run combined. From that moment, the innings never recovered.
Vice-captain Rishabh Pant, expected to anchor the chase, fell cheaply, exposing a fragile middle order to relentless pressure from the Proteas. Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel offered brief resistance, but their cameos merely delayed the inevitable as wickets continued to tumble.
India was dealt a major blow when captain Shubman Gill was ruled out midway through the match due to a neck injury, disrupting both the team’s balance and its on-field decision-making. His absence was felt acutely during the tense final innings, where a steady hand might have changed the complexion of the chase.
South African off-spinner Simon Harmer emerged as the architect of India’s downfall, claiming a match haul of eight wickets and exploiting the surface with precision and control. Supported ably by the seamers, Harmer repeatedly prised out key wickets to script one of South Africa’s most memorable away wins in recent years.
The defeat is significant for India on multiple fronts. It is their first Test loss at Eden Gardens since 2012 and marks South Africa’s first Test victory on Indian soil since 2010 — a drought-breaking result that underlines the visitors’ resilience and discipline.
For India, the shock collapse will prompt tough questions ahead of the second Test, especially around batting temperament, team balance, coach Gautam Gambhir's approach to test cricket and the impact of Gill’s availability.
