South African fast bowler Dale Steyn called the Eden Gardens pitch a nightmare for batsmen after Temba Bavuma and his team registered a stunning 30-run win over India in the opening match of the ongoing two-match Test series in Kolkata on Sunday (November 16).
The spin-friendly pitch at Eden Gardens made batting extremely difficult and played a major role in ending the match early on the third day. The South African bowlers made full use of the surface to dominate India, who failed to chase down the modest target of 124 at the Eden Gardens.
Dale Steyn calls Eden Gardens pitch a nightmare after South Africa’s spectacular win
Following South Africa’s first Test win in India in 15 years, Dale Steyn described the Eden Gardens surface as unpredictable, with some balls moving quickly across the bat and some slipping low, making it extremely difficult to score runs or defend properly.
Also read: “I was able to catch it with my little hands”: Temba Bavuma takes brilliant catch to dismiss Axar Patel in Kolkata
Dale Steyn said on JioHotstar, “He (Gautam Gambhir) said there weren’t monsters in the pitch? I certainly saw a lot. You know, as Anil was saying, some balls are spinning two feet ahead of the bat, going over the keeper’s shoulder. The next ball is slipping, hitting the pad and you are out.”
It is quite difficult to bat on him. When batsmen do not have the option to score runs, using defense becomes the biggest key. “It means it is really difficult to bat.”
Dale Steyn criticizes Eden Gardens pitch, calls it full of monsters
Dale Steyn said Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar and South African captain Temba Bavuma were the calmest batsmen but still they were always at risk on difficult tracks.
The legendary fast bowler admitted that contrary to coach Gautam Gambhir’s statement, the spin-friendly wicket played a big role in India being bowled out for just 93 runs while chasing the target of 124 runs at the Eden Gardens. Gambhir had insisted that there was “no devil” on the pitch.
Steyn said, “The two players who did their best in the fourth innings were Washington Sundar and Temba Bavuma. Even though it looked like they could have been out at any time, they were out with one ball. But their defense was the strongest. There are definitely demons in this wicket, that’s for sure. Any Test match that gets over in three days definitely has some demons in it.”
Also read: South Africa head coach issues official statement on Jasprit Bumrah’s ‘dwarf’ comment on Temba Bavuma
South Africa take 1-0 lead after spectacular win at Eden Gardens
Meanwhile, South Africa has taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series against India after an impressive win at the Eden Gardens. Captain Bavuma has been excellent, scoring a crucial unbeaten half-century in the second innings and leading his team with smart decisions on the field.
The win added to Bavuma’s incredible record of 10 wins in 11 Test matches as captain. The Proteas team showed a never-say-die attitude throughout the Kolkata Test. Despite being underdogs for most of the game, he never lost focus.
In the absence of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Johnson stepped up and Simon Harmer produced a brilliant bowling performance to lead South Africa to a famous win.
