For the first time since 2012, India walked off Eden Gardens on the wrong side of a Test result. A tricky pitch, a chaotic chase, and the absence of captain Shubman Gill combined to hand South Africa a 30-run win that reshapes the WTC race.
Chasing a modest 124, India’s batting unravelled dramatically. What should have been a routine fourth-innings chase turned into a collapse that stunned the Eden crowd. The absence of captain Shubman Gill, ruled out of the second innings after sustaining a neck injury while batting earlier, proved decisive. Without their in-form leader, India fell short of composure and runs at crucial moments.
The loss also hit India hard in the World Test Championship standings. With four wins and three losses from eight matches, they slipped to No. 4 on the table. Australia remain firmly at No. 1 with three wins from three Tests, while South Africa jumped to No. 2 after their Kolkata triumph. Sri Lanka sit in third place with a win and a draw from their two outings.
For India, the defeat is a reminder that even at home and even at Eden nothing can be taken for granted. For South Africa, it is a statement win that reshapes the WTC race early in the cycle.
