India’s aura of invincibility at home suffered a dent once again as South Africa clinched a historic 30-run victory in the first Test at the Eden Gardens, marking their first win on Indian soil since 2010 and India’s first defeat at the venue in 13 years. The result also ended a 15-year stretch of home dominance for India over the Proteas. India, chasing a modest target of 124, suffered an early batting collapse, finishing at 93. The Indian batters, who are known to thrive on home soil, struggled to negotiate both the pressure of the chase and the consistency of the visitors’ attack. In the aftermath of the defeat, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to attribute the loss to the pitch.

“The point is that you should be able to know how to play turn. And this is what we asked for, and this is what we got. I thought the curator was very supportive," said Gambhir at the press conference.

“I still believe that irrespective of how the wicket was, 123 (124) was chaseable. And I felt that if you are willing to put your head down and if you have a solid defence, if you have the temperament, you can definitely score runs. Yes, it might not be a wicket that is going to be very flamboyant, where you can play those big shots."

“This is exactly the pitch we were looking for. This is exactly the pitch,” Gambhir said.

“And I feel that, as I just mentioned before, the curator was very, very helpful. And this is exactly what we wanted. And this is exactly what we got. When you don't play well, this is what happens.”

Gambhir, meanwhile, stressed that handling pressure is more important than thinking about the pressure.

“I think more than the skills, I think it’s about handling and absorbing pressure. International cricket is all about pressure. Rather than thinking about pressure, you’ve got to start embracing pressure," Gambhir said.

“When we prepare wickets like these or when we play in Indian conditions, when we are chasing in the 4th inning, that is something which we need to get better. Obviously, skills are there, that’s why they’re here. They’ve done well in domestic cricket; they’ve done really well whenever they’ve played. That’s where they’re playing international cricket and playing for the country," he added.