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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 would not like to dwell on the defeat to South Africa too much, adding that the target should have been chased down, but increasing pressure saw their undoing in the first Test of the two-match series at 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 in the last six Tests, including the 0-3 debacle against New Zealand on turning pitches in 2024. The loss has reignited the debate on Indian batters’ ability on turning tracks.
“After a game like this, you cannot dwell on it too much. We should have been able to chase it. The pressure kept on building. We did not capitalise enough. There was help from the wicket (for the bowlers),” Pant said while speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“A score of 120 can be tricky on these surfaces. But having said that, we should have been able to soak in the pressure and capitalise. We have not thought about the improvements, but we will come back strong for sure,” 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 game.
“Temba and Bosch had a good stand in 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 another slide.
Washington followed soon after, undone by Aiden Markram’s part-time off-break.
November 16, 2025, 16:29 IST
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