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Rishabh Pant reflects on India’s Test defeat to South Africa at Eden Gardens, highlighting Simon Harmer’s eight wickets.
Rishabh Pant led India in Shubman Gill’s absence (AP Photo)
India’s Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has said that the team wouldn’t wish to dwell on the defeat to South Africa an excessive amount of, adding that the goal must have been chased down, but increasing pressure saw their undoing in the primary Test of the two-match series on the Eden Gardens.
On an underprepared track expected to favour Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, it was off-spinner Simon Harmer’s match haul of eight wickets that made the difference.
It was India’s fourth defeat at home within the last six Tests, including the 0-3 debacle against Latest Zealand on turning pitches in 2024. The loss has reignited the controversy on Indian batters’ ability on turning tracks.
“After a game like this, you can’t dwell on it an excessive amount of. We should always have been capable of chase it. The pressure kept on constructing. We didn’t capitalise enough. There was help from the wicket (for the bowlers),” Pant said while speaking on the post-match presentation ceremony.
“A rating of 120 could be tricky on these surfaces. But having said that, we must always have been capable of soak within the pressure and capitalise. We’ve not thought in regards to the improvements, but we’ll come back strong needless to say,” Pant added.
Pant was standing in for Shubman Gill, who has been hospitalised with a neck injury.
The vice-captain said that the eighth wicket partnership of 44 runs between South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch was the turning point of the sport.
“Temba and Bosch had a great stand within the morning. That partnership between them hurt us,” Pant said.
Star all-rounders Washington Sundar (31 off 92) and Ravindra Jadeja (18 off 26) revived India’s chase with their composure and soft hands, but Harmer struck again, trapping Jadeja to trigger one other slide.
Washington followed soon after, undone by Aiden Markram’s part-time off-break.
November 16, 2025, 16:29 IST
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