What went wrong for India at Eden Gardens vs SA?

• SAfrica beat India by 30 runs in spin-dominated Eden Gardens Test, lasting under 3 days.
• India's batting collapsed chasing 124, folding for 93 against SA spin attack.
• Ganguly reveals Indian camp requested turning pitch, leading to controversy.

India's hopes of continuing their Test revival crumbled in front of a spin trial at Eden Gardens, where South Africa outplayed the hosts to clinch a 30-run

win in a low-scoring Test lasting less than three days.

The defeat exposed India's brittle batting and questionable shot selection on a turning track, which has already become a point of controversy in this match.

Chasing only 124, India folded for 93, losing eight wickets to spin and showing little application. None of the top order handled Simon Harmer's relentless accuracy, while Marco Jansen's early burst removed both openers. With Shubman Gill sidelined due to a stiff neck, the rest capitulated meekly, leaving Washington Sundar and Axar Patel fighting a losing battle.

Earlier, despite a slight first-innings lead thanks to Bumrah's brilliance, India failed to press home the advantage. South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma's 55 on a treacherous pitch, showed greater grit and control.

Kolkata Pitch or Batting Catastrophe - What is to Blame?

The Kolkata Test at Eden Gardens between India and South Africa has sparked a major pitch controversy, stirring heated reactions from former cricketers, fans, and officials. The issue erupted as the iconic venue produced a surface that led to an under-three-day finish, with extreme spin and uneven bounce dominating proceedings and making batting nearly impossible for both sides.​

Eden Gardens has traditionally offered balanced cricket surfaces, but for this high-profile Test, the pitch broke up from the first morning, giving spinners overwhelming advantage and producing sharp turns and inconsistent bounce. A stunning total of 33 wickets fell in under two days in the Test, drawing criticism about the fairness of the contest.

The Indian camp, led by coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill, found themselves at the center of the controversy, with fans and experts questioning whether the surface was deliberately made more spin-friendly to suit India's strategy.​

Sourav Ganguly, President of the Cricket Association of Bengal and former India captain, made a major revelation clarifying the pitch's preparation.

"The pitch is what the Indian camp wanted. This is what happens when you don't water the pitch for four days. Curator Sujan Mukherjee can't be blamed," Sourav Ganguly said.

Temba Bavuma showed how to bat, especially when he played a gritty knock of 55 in the second innings. Washington Sundar demonstrated in brief with the bat, while Axar Patel also had a momentary success in the 4th innings. Unfortunately, the Indian top and middle-order had no answer to their own trap.

This loss will sting India - not for the margin, but for the lack of intent and composure that turned a winnable Test into an avoidable embarrassment. The team management had the demand for a turning track, which crumbled big time. A ploy of playing four spinners worked, but the batters couldn't put up any resistance to the South African spinners.