6 months ago
3
Ruing India's inability to pursuit down 124 against South Africa successful the archetypal Test, vice-captain Rishabh Pant connected Sunday (November 16, 2025) said the batters should person adapted to the situation of playing connected a tricky Eden Gardens surface.
India were bowled retired for 93 arsenic South Africa celebrated a 30-run win to instrumentality 1-0 pb successful the two-match series.
"After a crippled similar this, you can't dwell into it excessively much. We should person been capable to pursuit it. The unit kept connected building. We didn't capitalise enough. There was assistance from the wicket (for the bowlers)," said Pant, who came for the post-match presumption ceremonial successful the absence of injured regular skipper Shubman Gill.
Pant said the hosts volition travel backmost stronger successful the 2nd Test astatine Guwahati.
"A people of 120 tin beryllium tricky connected these surfaces. But having said that, we should person been capable to soak successful the unit and capitalise. We haven't thought astir the improvements but we volition travel backmost beardown for sure," helium added.
The wicketkeeper batter said the eighth wicket basal of 44 runs betwixt South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch was the turning constituent of the match.
"Temba and Bosch had a bully basal successful the morning. That concern betwixt them wounded us," helium said.
Bavuma credits bowlers
South Africa skipper Bavuma credited the bowlers for keeping his broadside successful the game.
"We privation to beryllium a portion of these games and beryllium connected the close broadside of the result. It was pugnacious for america and we needed the bowlers to bring america backmost in.
"We were capable to alteration our bowlers often and that worked for us. Our bowlers, arsenic and erstwhile they were called, brought america in," helium added.
Bavuma besides credited Bosch for helping him to adhd immoderate important runs successful the archetypal hr of the 3rd time connected Sunday.
"My basal with Bosch was nice. The wicket played amended this morning, wasn't arsenic extreme. It is not each the clip that you people 120 and judge you are successful the game."
Bavuma made a captious unbeaten 55, giving South Africa bowlers thing to defend, and helium was blessed with the effort.
"Batting, I americium conscionable comfy with myself and technique. I basal arsenic inactive arsenic I can, ticker the ball. I person travel present wanting to bash well. Not a large record, but I person travel present with exuberance and wanting to bash well," helium said.
"It was astir awareness, the limb opening up a small bit. The mode I played it," helium added.
The Proteas skipper rated his drawback to disregard Axar Patel arsenic 1 of the important moments of the match.
"That was not easy. Crucial moment, Axar had momentum connected his side. Fortunately, helium was capable to marque a mistake and I was capable to drawback it with my tiny hands."
Nice to contribute, says Harmer
Man-of-the-match Simon Harmer was blessed to person contributed to the triumph with a lucifer haul of 8 wickets.
"I felt contiguous the transportation was a spot flatter arsenic the shot got older; it wasn't exploding arsenic much. I asked myself immoderate hard questions. Nice to contribute. I person been present earlier and it was a acheronian place," the off-spinner said.
"So to get present and beryllium successful this position, to beryllium down the 8 shot again and to beryllium capable to combat backmost the mode we did conscionable shows our belief," helium said.
"I'm not a stats man, I'm a triumph man. I americium blessed with the win. Still a crippled to spell successful the series, truthful we volition bask this," helium added.
