'RIP Test cricket': Harbhajan Singh slams Eden Gardens pitch as IND vs SA 1st Test heads for Day 3 finish

The Test match between India and South Africa is poised for a Day 3 conclusion at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. South Africa finds themselves seven wickets down, holding a slender lead of just 63 runs. It would be quite unexpected if the match extends beyond the first session of Day 3. The pitch at Eden Gardens has sparked considerable discussion. The ball has been gripping the surface, turning sharply, making it exceedingly difficult for the batters to play. In their first innings, South Africa was bowled out for 159, while India managed to score only 189 in their innings. By the end of Day 2, the Proteas were at 93-7.

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh did not hold back in his criticism of the Kolkata pitch. "Test cricket india vs South Africa the game almost over on 2nd day isn’t finished yet . What a mockery of test cricket #RIPTESTCRICKET," he wrote on X.

Test cricket india vs South Africa the game almost over on 2nd day isn’t finished yet . What a mockery of test cricket #RIPTESTCRICKET

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) November 15, 2025

Earlier, former England captain Michael Vaughan also criticized the pitch in Kolkata, labeling it as dreadful.

South Africa's batting coach Ashwell Prince attributed their difficulties to the "inconsistency of the bounce" and the resulting "trust" issues it created on the challenging Eden Gardens surface, as India claimed the honors on the first day of the opening Test in Kolkata on Friday. Jasprit Bumrah's impressive five-wicket haul led to South Africa's dramatic collapse from 57 without loss to 159 all out in just over two sessions.

"I think the signs were there pretty early on that the bounce is not consistent," Prince said after the opening day's play.

"Quite often what can happen is that when you expect batters to get to 20, 30 and grow in confidence, I don't particularly believe that any of the batters grew in confidence because of the inconsistency of the bounce," Prince said.

The wicket was turning sharply, providing an excellent opportunity for Ravindra Jadeja to increase his wicket tally. Jadeja dismantled the Proteas' top order on Day 2, taking four of the seven wickets that fell. This performance allowed Jadeja to make history, becoming the first player globally to achieve the double of 150 wickets and 2500 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC). He has accumulated 2532 runs and 150 wickets in 47 WTC matches. The left-handed batsman also became the fourth player to claim 250 wickets in India.

Additionally, he is now the second player, after Stuart Broad in England, to achieve the double of over 2000 runs and 250+ wickets in a single country. Furthermore, he is the fourth cricketer to score 4,000 runs and take over 300 wickets in Test cricket. Jadeja reached this milestone in 88 matches, marking the second-fastest time to achieve this feat.

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