South Africa secured a 30-run victory over India in the opening Test at Eden Gardens on Sunday and moved 1-0 ahead in the two-match series. India, who needed 124 runs to win, could not build a strong chase and finished at 93. Washington Sundar top-scored with 31 runs, but no other batter managed to stay long at the crease.
South Africa created pressure throughout the innings and held control of the match with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding from start to finish.
This is the new India team, this is Coach Gautam Gambhir team. A mindset of losing at home and draw overseas. Winning mindset is old fashion for Coach.
India bowled out for 93 while chasing 124, South Africa win by 30 runs.
#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/70PVrO86TW
— ICC Asia Cricket (@ICCAsiaCricket) November 16, 2025
South Africa Bowlers Dominate India’s Chase
India struggled throughout the chase and failed to build partnerships. Washington Sundar scored 31 and Axar Patel added 26, but the batting order fell apart from the beginning.
The team also missed captain Shubman Gill, who did not take part in the remainder of the Test after suffering a neck spasm on Day 2.
Lost the ODI series vs Sri Lanka
• Lost home Test series vs New Zealand
• Lost BGT 3–1
• Failed to win test series against England C team
• Lost an ODI series vs average Aus team
• And now already 1–0 down against SAIndia has never seen a more Clown coach than Gambhir 🤡 pic.twitter.com/pdHZKWjN05
— Hitmania (@IndYouthArmy) November 16, 2025
The Indian lineup showed no resistance against the disciplined South African attack. The collapse ended with India scoring just 93, marking one of their rare defeats while chasing a small total at home. South Africa controlled the match from the final session of Day 2 onward.
Second Test Scheduled to Begin on November 22
With this victory, South Africa gained a crucial lead ahead of the final Test. India will now prepare to level the series when both teams meet in Guwahati on November 22. The hosts will look to fix their batting issues after failing to chase a modest target. South Africa, on the other hand, will aim to carry the momentum forward. The second Test will decide the fate of the series, making it an important match for both sides.
Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
