The atmosphere in the Indian camp became heated after India suffered a shocking 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday, 16 November.
After the shameful defeat in the Kolkata Test, Indian team’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and vice-captain Rishabh Pant were seen having a deep discussion on the field.
Gautam Gambhir reprimanded Rishabh Pant after India’s defeat in Kolkata
This defeat was nothing short of embarrassing for India, especially when they had prepared a pitch that suited them. Unfortunately, the pitch turned into a nightmare, and they failed to chase down 124 at the Eden Gardens, and the frustration within the camp was palpable.
Also read: Sourav Ganguly openly attacked Gautam Gambhir regarding Kolkata’s Eden Gardens pitch.
In the viral video, Gautam Gambhir is seen showing anger at Rishabh Pant in the dressing room. And even the Indian vice-captain looked tense as the conversation with Gautam Gambhir continued for a few minutes after South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.
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Talking about Rishabh Pant’s performance in the first Test against South Africa, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman could only score 27 runs off 24 balls in the first innings and then he was out cheaply after scoring just 2 runs as South Africa won the match by 30 runs on Sunday.
Rishabh Pant admits India let an easy target slip away after Eden Gardens shock
After the match, India’s vice-captain admitted that the hosts had let a small target slip away. He also said that the hosts let the pressure build in the second innings and could not take advantage when needed against South Africa at the Eden Gardens.
The left-handed batsman also pointed out that a crucial 44-run partnership between Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch pulled South Africa back in the Kolkata Test. Since the pitch was difficult to bat on, Pant felt that the team had to handle such moments better.
Also read: Shubman Gill out of Guwahati Test? Gautam Gambhir released official update
Rishabh Pant said in the post-match presentation: “Rishabh Pant: In a game like this, you can’t pay too much attention to it. We should have been able to chase this score. The pressure built on us in the second innings, and we couldn’t take advantage of it. Temba and Bosch had a great partnership, and that brought them back into the game. There was help on the wicket; a score like 120 can be difficult, but as a team we should be able to handle the pressure. And haven’t thought about improvement; the match has just ended.
Temba Bavuma’s grit and Proteas’ spin attack stun India in Kolkata
Notably, the first Test started very well for India as South Africa were bowled out for just 159 runs after being put to bat. But the game changed when the Proteas bowlers, led by Simon Harmer, struggled as India could only take a 30-run lead in the opening match of the Test series on the second day.
In their second innings, South Africa collapsed again and ended the second day at 93 for 7, leaving India in complete control. This was followed by an important half-century from captain Temba Bavuma. On a tough, turning pitch, Bavuma added 60 crucial runs on the final morning and that small lead turned into a big challenge.
Later, Marco Janssen. Keshav Maharaj and Harmer made it a day to forget for the Indian batsmen as they bowled out the hosts for just 93 runs while chasing the target of 124 runs at the Eden Gardens.
