eden Gardens Pitch Under Fire as Uneven Bounce Dominates India-South Africa Test
Kolkata, November 15, 2025 – The first Test match between India and South โคAfrica at โฃEdenโค Gardens in Kolkata has been heavily impacted by a โseverely uneven โฃpitch, drawing criticism from fans and raising questions about pitch preparation. the match โis โฃunfolding at a rapid pace, with batting proving โฃexceptionally arduous due to unpredictable bounce.
The match โฃbegan with South Africa winning โคthe toss and choosing to bat, but they were quickly dismissed for 176. โDeanโ Elgar and David Bedingham contributed considerably with scores of 55 and 56 respectively, while India’s prasidh Krishna andโ Mohammed โSirajโข each took three wickets. โคIndia responded with 189, securing a crucial 30-run first-innings lead. KL Rahul was the top scorer for the โhome side with 39 runs. South african bowlers Simon harmer (4 wickets) and Marco jansenโข (3 wickets)โข were โคnotably effective.
In their second innings, South Africa struggled again, finding themselves atโค 66โ forโข 5 โin the final session of Day 2. Ravindra Jadejaโข claimed four wickets,exploiting the challengingโ conditions.
Theโฃ pitch,describedโ as a “rank turner,” exhibited pronounced uneven bounce from โthe opening day,particularly fromโฃ one end. This has led to concerns about playerโ safety and the quality of the contest between bat and ball.Fansโฃ have voiced their disappointment online, withโฃ many questioning the decisionโ to prepare such a challenging surface. Some criticized theโค Indian โteam management, referencing the 0-3 loss to Newโ Zealand last year where spin-friendly โpitches โคbackfired.
Social media reactions included comments labeling the pitchโค aโข “disgrace” and expressing concern that the Test match might conclude prematurely. One fan noted the irony ofโฃ the situation, recalling hopes โthat lessonsโฃ had been learnedโฃ from the New Zealand series. Others questioned whether the pitch was a disservice to the large crowds attending the match atโข Eden Gardens.
The situation is particularly frustrating given statements made by Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee prior โฃto the Test.โ Mukherjee had stated his intention to create a “good sporting wicket” offering โฃ”something for everyone,” despite a request from โtheโ team management for a spinner-friendly pitch. He โhad assuredโ that the pitch would offer both turn and โคbounce, suitable for both batters and bowlers.
Despite โthe difficult conditions, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma demonstrated resilience in the second innings,โค facingโ over 10 overs while wickets fell around โขhim.
Theโ match continues to unfold quickly, with the uneven bounce significantly influencing theโฃ outcome and sparking debate about the suitability of the โEden Gardens pitch for Test cricket.
