South Africa anticipated a pitch of this nature and came well prepared. India asked for a surface like this and got precisely what they wanted, yet they found themselves short of the skills and the discipline needed to counter its tricks in the first Test, which ended with seven sessions to spare on Sunday afternoon.

The Eden Gardens track made for a gripping, pulsating Test match with fortunes swinging wildly until the pendulum rested on South Africa’s side. The reigning World Test champions surged him by 30 runs as they expertly defended a fourth-innings target of 125, consigning India to their fourth home loss in their 
six matches in the Gautam Gambhir era.