Group India misplaced the primary Take a look at vs South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata by 30 runs, their first loss within the format to Proteas after 15 years at house.

Group India stumbled to surprising 30-run loss to South Africa within the first match off two-Take a look at sequence on the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. It was India’s fifth loss at house within the final 8 Exams, which features a 3-0 sequence whitewash in opposition to New Zealand at house final yr. It was the primary Take a look at win for South Africa in India after 15 years.

Temba Bavuma’s South Africa have now taken an unassailable 1-0 lead within the sequence forward of the second Take a look at in Guwahati which begins on Saturday. The Indians didn’t chase down 124 to win within the ultimate innings, bowled out for simply 93 within the absence of skipper Shubman Gill as a consequence of a neck harm.

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara and former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had scathing evaluate of the Indian batting after their abject give up within the Kolkata Take a look at. Pujara, who retired from worldwide cricket earlier this yr, feels there’s something significantly incorrect with the workforce if they’re persevering with to lose at house.

Talking on JioStar’s post-match present ‘Cricket Stay’, JioStar skilled Cheteshwar Pujara challenged the view that workforce transition was accountable, emphasizing India’s ample expertise and shared his opinion on the type of pitches India must play on for higher outcomes.

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Pujara highlighted the expertise within the Indian squad and emphasised the necessity for higher adaptation to difficult pitch situations: “I don’t agree with the view that India’s defeat at house may be attributed to a transitional section. Whereas it’s comprehensible to face setbacks overseas throughout a transition interval, the present Indian facet possesses ample expertise and robust first-class data—gamers like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, and Shubman Gill have all confirmed themselves. If the workforce is dropping in house situations regardless of this, it means that one thing else is incorrect,” Pujara stated.

Pujara retired from Take a look at cricket with 7195 runs in 103 Exams at a median of 43.6 with 19 a whole lot and 35 fifties. “Had this match been performed on a superb pitch, India’s possibilities of successful would’ve been a lot larger. The character of such wickets reduces our successful share and brings the opposition on a degree footing. Even an India A workforce, given the depth of expertise, might problem South Africa at house. So it’s not an absence of capability. Due to this fact, blaming transition for this defeat in India isn’t justifiable,” he added.

Harbhajan Singh was much more brutal in his evaluate of Group India. “They’ve fully destroyed Take a look at cricket. Relaxation in peace Take a look at cricket,” Harbhajan stated on his YouTube channel.

“The type of work they’ve finished, the type of pitches which were made for therefore a few years now, I’ve been seeing it. Nobody talks about it as a result of it’s nice, the workforce is successful, somebody is taking wickets, somebody is turning into nice by taking these wickets. So everybody feels every little thing goes properly. However I really feel that this apply has not began immediately. It has been occurring for a few years, and I really feel it’s the incorrect approach of enjoying,” Harbhajan, who had taken 13 wickets at similar venue in India’s well-known 2001 win over Australia, stated.

Harbhajan believes it’s time to mirror on the problem as such pitches don’t contribute to the event of gamers. “You aren’t transferring ahead in any approach, you might be simply going round in circles like an ox tied to a mill. You might be successful, however there is no such thing as a actual profit. As a cricketer, you aren’t rising,” he stated.