India bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted his side was "surprised" by how quickly the Eden Gardens surface "deteriorated" after a dramatic second day in which 15 wickets fell and the opening Test swung sharply in India's favour.
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that Team India does not need to prepare turning wickets as they can bowl out their opponents with their pace line-up and having another spin-friendly wicket for the second Test against South Africa will be a "big test of their ability".
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
'We would like to believe and back ourselves to know these conditions or adapt to these conditions a lot faster even if we find them slightly different, as compared to, say, somebody who is brought up in Johannesburg and has played all his cricket at the Wanderers ground.'
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the two-Test series against Zimbabwe that starts in Bulawayo on June 28 after he failed to recover from a hamstring injury sustained in the World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord's.
Rishabh Pant's return to competitive cricket after a three-month injury-enforced hiatus will be the primary focal point of India A's four-day match against South Africa A.
South Africa's two heaviest defeats have transpired when they fielded first and were accompanied by a lack of discipline as well as dropped chances.
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was overwhelmed to see his spinners rule the roost in the first Test against India at the Eden Gardens, signalling to him that the Rainbow Nation is no longer an exclusive "fast bowling country" and hoped that a lot more slow bowlers will emerge.
Temba Bavuma and his son Lihle celebrated with the ICC Test Championship Mace, marking South Africa's most memorable cricketing moment.
Jadeja reduces South Africa to 93/7 in second innings, India smell big win
Prem Panicker and Faisal Shariff discuss the World Test Championship final, where South Africa pulled off a magnificent win against favorites Australia.
'I think it's an ongoing process, just continuously putting in hours of work and speaking to people that have played in these conditions, have done well in these conditions.'
Bavuma said his hamstring was 'feeling good' ahead of his return, and the South African skipper also confirmed he would bat at number three for the opening match of the three-game series behind openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram.
Australia's senior batter Steve Smith has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's after suffering a compound dislocation of his right pinkie on Friday.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
South Africa's dream start to the World Test Championship final quickly turned into a nightmare at Lord's, as their batters failed to back up Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket masterclass.
Hard-hitting left-handed batter David Miller also returns to the T20 squad, as does Donovan Ferreira.
Drugs ban gives Rabada extra motivation for WTC final, says the Proteas captain
For the world, it is another victory of a cricket team, but for all those Black South Africans, who suffered during apartheid, it come as a sweet redemption.
Keshav Maharaj took 4/22 as South Africa thrashed a woeful England side by seven wickets after dismissing the hosts for just 131 runs in the first One-Day International.
Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten century as South Africa edged tantalisingly close to an unlikely success in the World Test Championship final, needing 69 runs to dethrone Australia after reaching 213-2 at stumps on the third day at Lord's on Friday.
'Did you see the ICC video?? Meant to be celebrating the WTC final -- but instead has 11 shots of Jay Shah in it.'
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj produced a career-best 5-33 to dismantle Australia and bowl South Africa to an emphatic 98-run victory in the opening one day international in Cairns on Tuesday.
Rabada spent a month on the sidelines at the Indian Premier League after testing positive for a recreational drug at this year's SA20 competition.
Australia, who won the preceding T20 series between the sides, lost opener Travis Head and number three Marnus Labuschagne inside four overs.
Kuldeep slips to third in ODI rankings, Maharaj regains top spot
From 'hope to history': Cricketing world explodes with joy as SA finally win major ICC title
Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green smashed blistering hundreds as Australia steamrollered South Africa by 276 runs in the third and final One-Day International.
'The sun is on us,' declared SA skipper Temba Bavuma following the World Test Championship triumph.
Steve Smith will miss Australia's first Test against the West Indies in Barbados later this month
South Africa's long wait for a men's world title - could be written on Saturday. And if they succeed, don't be surprised if 'Lucky Charm de Villiers' trends again.
Australia's batting maestro Steve Smith provided an update on the injury he sustained on his finger during their World Test Championship final defeat against South Africa at Lord's.
Limping Bavuma, Markram lead South Africa to brink of history.
Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement from ODI cricket and has been named in both the ODI and T20I squads for the Pakistan tour.
Bavuma, in his Test journey of over a decade, as the first black batter for South Africa, has faced a lot of ups and downs. A magnificent century against England in Cape Town back in 2016 attached to him plenty of expectations.
South Africa picked an experienced 15-man squad for next month's Champions Trophy in Pakistan with 10 players having competed at the last World Cup in India in late 2023.
Top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen will lead South Africa during next month's Twenty20 tri-series with New Zealand and hosts Zimbabwe, with four uncapped players in the squad, Cricket South Africa said on Thursday.
Temba Bavuma hopes South Africa's historic ICC World Test Championship Final victory will help his country 'rejoice and come together' as he revealed a desire to emulate the Springboks' all-conquering rugby team.
South Africa beat Australia by five wickets to win World Test Championship
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