‘You deserve to lose’: Former England captain’s brutal attack on Indian team at Eden Gardens ground salutes WTC champions | Cricket News

Michael Vaughan added to his attack on the Eden Gardens surface after India slipped to a 30-run defeat against South Africa in the opening Test, saying the hosts had prepared for the result that followed. The former England captain, who had previously criticized the conditions during the match, had a sharper tone once India were bowled out for 93 in their chase of 124. “Horrible pitch in Calcutta… #INDvSA,” he posted during the second day as the contest moved quickly towards an early end. And after South Africa sealed victory in three days, Vaughan wrote: “Pitch a pitch like that and you deserve to lose to the World Test champions…. brilliant victory for SA… #INDvSA.

The surface dominated discussions throughout the test. South Africa were dismissed for 159 runs on the first day, and India only managed to lead by 30 runs in response. By the second night, the visitors were 93 for 7, with both teams struggling with uneven bounces and tight turns. The spinners ultimately accounted for most of the dismissals across the two innings.

Michael Vaughan on X

The match ended on Sunday when Simon Harmer completed an eight-wicket haul to knock out India. The hosts, playing without Shubman Gill in the second innings due to a neck injury, lost wickets in quick succession as Harmer and Keshav Maharaj tightened control. India’s brief resistance came courtesy of Washington Sundar’s 31 and Axar Patel’s late strikes, but the chase never steadied. While several former cricketers expressed disappointment with the pitch, Gautam Gambhir defended the preparation, saying the conditions were exactly what the team was looking for. “That’s exactly the pitch we were looking for…the curator was very, very helpful, and that’s exactly what we wanted,” Gambhir said. He added: “When you don’t play well, this is what happens.”

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who ensured a patient 55 was not bowled out, said his team “tried to hold on as much as possible”, acknowledging the difficulty of batting on the surface. India’s stand-in captain Rishabh Pant said the team “should have been able to chase down that score”. India’s home run last season ended inconsistently, and this defeat added to a string of mixed results. As the second Test in Guwahati approaches, scrutiny of conditions and preparation is likely to continue alongside discussions on India’s performance.