Pressure kept on building: Pant says India’s defeat

Dubai: Team India vice-captain Rishabh Pant admitted that his side failed to seize crucial moments in their 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens. India, chasing 124 in the fourth innings, were bowled out for 93.

“After a game like this, you can’t dwell on it too much,” Pant said at the post-match presentation. “We should have been able to chase it, but the pressure kept building. We didn’t capitalise enough. Temba and Bosch’s partnership in the morning hurt us. On wickets like this, even 120 can be tricky. Still, we should have soaked up the pressure and finished the job. We haven’t discussed the improvements yet, but we’ll come back strong.”

South Africa’s victory was their first Test win in India since 2010 and handed India their first loss at Eden Gardens since 2012. India’s chase unravelled early when Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul fell cheaply, leaving them at 1/2 inside three overs. Washington Sundar (31) resisted and Axar Patel (25) also fought hard, but after Axar’s dismissal the tail added just one more run. Off-spinner Simon Harmer starred with figures of 4/21, while Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj took two wickets each.

Pant acknowledged that Bavuma and Bosch’s stand shifted momentum decisively and reiterated that India should have handled the chase better despite the challenging surface.

South African captain Temba Bavuma, who scored a gritty half-century, praised his team’s resilience. He also joked about taking the crucial catch that removed Axar Patel, saying he was just glad he held on with his “small hands.”

“You want to be part of games like this — and to be on the right side of them,” Bavuma said. “We knew batting would be tough, but we tried to make the most of the conditions. Our bowlers pulled us back, and that partnership with Bosch, and a bit with Marco, gave us momentum going into the morning.”

Reflecting on his batting in Asian conditions, Bavuma added: “I’m more comfortable with my technique now. I haven’t always had the best record here, so there’s excitement in learning and making the right adjustments. Opening up my leg side a bit helped. And of course, you always need some luck.”

Speaking about the catch to dismiss Axar, he said: “That was a crucial moment. He had momentum, and Indian batters can get even more dangerous when they’re going. Fortunately, he made a mistake and I grabbed it. Those are the moments you want to own for your team.”