The Eden Gardens ground came under intense scrutiny during the first match of the two-Test series between India and South Africa. As many as 24 wickets fell before the start of the last hour of play on Day 2 of the opening day of the series at the iconic Kolkata venue. Contrary to former captain and current Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly’s promise, there was nothing close to a close match between bat and ball.
IND vs SA, 1st Test Update on the 2nd | Scorecard
Former England captain Michael Vaughan also weighed in, to put it bluntly.
Batters struggled from the start, the uneven bounce evident on the first day of the Test. In fact, in the very first over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah on Friday morning, the ball shot up and down and moved both ways, making it difficult for even the Indian bowlers to settle on a consistent length.
Wickets fell in bunches as South Africa were bundled out for 159 in their first innings, with Bumrah claims a five-wicket haul. Mohammed Siraj recovered from an expensive opening spell to pick up two wickets while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav shared three between them.
In reply, India were dismissed for 189, with KL Rahul top scoring with 39. Simon Harmer was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors as the extraordinary shot ran riot, taking four wickets and thoroughly enjoying its time against India’s left-handers. Marco Jansen, a tall left-arm paceman, contributed three goals of his own.
South Africa returned to bat in the second over on Day 2 and were left at 66 for 5 in the final over. Ravindra Jadeja, recently traded from Chennai Super Kings to Rajasthan Royals, weaved a web around the batsmen and took four wickets.
The pitch appeared to be dry from the opening day itself, with significant uneven bounce, particularly from one end of the goal.
Fans were quick to question the quality of the surface and wondered why there wasn’t a fair match between bat and ball. Some have criticized the Indian team management for opting for a rank turner, accusing them of failing to learn from their unprecedented 0-3 loss to New Zealand last year when spin-friendly tracks failed.
Fortunately, India secured a decisive 30-run lead in the first innings and stayed in the contest after South Africa failed to take advantage of winning the toss and batting first.
‘THE PITCH IS A SHAME’
“This Eden Gardens pitch is a disgrace. Healthy competition between bat and ball is great; a pitch that is a bit bowler friendly is also great. But that’s just dangerous, especially when the bounce is so inconsistent already on day 2,” wrote a fan on X.
“I thought avoiding tracks like this was the main benefit of New Zealand lime we knew nothing about,” commented another.
One fan asked if it was a disservice to the spectators, especially after the Eden Gardens attracted big crowds in the first two days.
“This pitch at Eden will have points on merit. We’ve finally had big crowds and it looks like the Test will end on day 3.”
“This has to be the worst pitch Eden Gardens has ever offered for a Test. Even chasing 120 on this surface will be tough in the final innings, especially without Gill. India need to restrict South Africa to under 100 to feel confident,” wrote another fan.
“Poor quality of pitches gives poor quality cricket. Disappointed with Eden Gardens curator – much better expected,” added one more.
Turner of the rank, where batsmen had virtually no chance of surviving playing traditional Test cricket, was a surprise given how loud Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee was involved in making a sports goal.
Speaking for India On the eve of the Test today, Mukherjee said that while the team management had demanded a pitch suitable for spinners, he intended to prepare a surface that offered “something for everyone”.
“The pitch will be good. It will be a good sporting wicket. As the days go on, there will be a turnaround. There will be a bounce. But everyone – batsmen, bowlers – there is something for everyone on this pitch,” he said.
The Test continued at breakneck pace as South Africa found themselves in deeper trouble. Captain Temba Bavuma showed admirable determination, holding one end in the second innings and facing more than 10 overs himself, even as partners kept falling around him.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
November 15, 2025
