Team India now needs a win in Guwahati to save the series draw against South Africa. (NOT a photo) Cheteshwar Pujara offered a candid assessment of India’s batting following their 30-run loss to South Africa in the first Test at the Eden Gardens, saying the team must adapt quickly to surfaces that require both discipline and initiative. Chasing 124 on a tough pitch, India were dismissed for 93 in 35 overs, slipping to a fourth defeat in the last six home Tests. The hosts played without skipper Shubman Gill in the second innings after his neck injury on Day 1 required hospital treatment. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel were the only players to offer stretches of resistance but South Africa’s attack, led by Simon Harmer’s 4/21, controlled the chase from the start.
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Speaking to JioStar after the match, Pujara said the conditions could not be an excuse for the collapse. “Whatever the surface is, you have to play on it and you have to be very well prepared,” he said. He admitted that India were “one batting short” due to Gill’s injury, but insisted that the responsibility remained collective: “India’s batsmen will have to find a way to score on such pitches.” He also highlighted the areas where the batting line-up needs more clarity, especially when playing spin at home. “They have to use their legs, play a smashing stroke and play a bit more positively on pitches like this. You have to put the bowlers under pressure,” Pujara said, adding that was something this side “failed to do in this particular Test match.” Pujara felt that both head coach and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak will have to guide the players in methods that will enhance their scoring options. “If the Indian team is going to play more matches on surfaces like this, where will the scoring opportunities come from? That is something that needs to be discussed in the team meeting,” he said.
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Should the Indian team adjust their batting approach to difficult pitches?
India’s domestic season last year ended inconsistently, with results fluctuating across formats and the latest defeat extending a run that has yet to stabilise. With the second Test in Guwahati looming, the team has a short window to reassess their approach before trying to level the series.
