India suffered a shocking defeat against South Africa at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Sunday, November 16, 2025. Chasing just 124 runs to win, India got bowled out for only 93 runs. India Lost the match by 30 runs. This is South Africa’s first Test win in India in 15 years.
The loss was hard to believe for Indian fans. The team needed less than 125 runs to win but couldn’t do it. This defeat gives South Africa a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, which they cannot lose now.
Day 1: South Africa Struggle First
South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first. But things went badly for them. Jasprit Bumrah was absolutely brilliant for India, taking 5 wickets for just 27 runs. South Africa started well at 57 for no loss, but then collapsed completely. They were all out for 159 runs.Only Tristan Stubbs showed some fight with the bat. The rest of the South African batsmen struggled against India’s bowling attack. At the end of Day 1, it looked like India was going to win easily.
India’s First Innings: Missed Opportunity
India’s turn to bat didn’t go much better. The team scored 189 runs, taking a small lead of 30 runs. KL Rahul was the top scorer, while Washington Sundar and Axar Patel also made useful runs.
Simon Harmer bowled well for South Africa, picking up 4 wickets. The Eden Gardens pitch was helping both fast bowlers and spinners. Batting was not easy for anyone.
Looking back, India should have scored more runs here. A bigger lead could have made all the difference in this low-scoring match.
Shubman Gill Gets Injured
When South Africa batted again, things got worse for India. Captain Shubman Gill had to leave the field after getting a neck spasm. He had just started batting and faced only three balls when he felt pain in his neck.
Gill was taken to the hospital and ruled out of the match. This was a big blow for India. Without their captain, the team would miss his batting skills in the chase later.
Bavuma Saves South Africa
South Africa’s second innings started badly too. They were struggling at 93 for 7 at the end of Day 2. It looked like India would win easily. But captain Temba Bavuma had other plans.
On Day 3 morning, Bavuma played a fantastic innings. He scored 55 runs and stayed not out. On a difficult pitch where the ball was turning and bouncing, Bavuma showed great skill and patience. He got good support from Corbin Bosch, and together they added 44 important runs.
South Africa were finally bowled out for 153, setting India a target of 124 runs. It didn’t look too difficult on paper, but the pitch was getting harder to bat on.
India’s Terrible Chase
India’s chase started very badly. Marco Jansen removed both openers quickly. Yashasvi Jaiswal got out for a duck, and KL Rahul scored just 1 run. India was in trouble early.
With captain Gill unable to bat due to injury, the pressure was on the middle order. Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar tried to build a partnership, but Simon Harmer had other ideas.
Simon Harmer Destroys India
Harmer was unplayable in the second innings. The off-spinner was getting lots of turn and bounce from the pitch. He first got Jurel out for 13 runs. Then he removed stand-in captain Rishabh Pant for just 4 runs.
India was suddenly 38 for 4, and panic set in. Washington Sundar fought hard and top-scored with 31 runs off 92 balls. He showed good technique and patience, but wickets kept falling at the other end.
Ravindra Jadeja was trapped LBW by Harmer for 18 runs. Kuldeep Yadav also fell LBW to Harmer for just 1 run. When Sundar finally got out for 31, India’s hopes were almost gone. The score was 72 for 6.
The Final Moments India Lost
Axar Patel tried to fight back. He hit Keshav Maharaj for one four and two big sixes in one over, scoring 16 runs. For a moment, it looked like India might still have a chance.
But Maharaj got his revenge. Axar tried another big shot but got caught by captain Bavuma for 26 runs. On the very next ball, Mohammed Siraj got out for a duck. India were all out for 93 runs in just 35 overs.
The match was over. India had lost by 30 runs – the exact same as their first innings lead. If only they had scored more runs earlier in the match.
Simon Harmer: Man of the Match
Simon Harmer won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant bowling. He took 8 wickets in the match, including 4 for 21 in India’s second innings. His spin bowling was the main reason South Africa won.
After the match, Harmer said he was happy to help his team win. He mentioned that he had struggled in India before but came back stronger this time. “We were behind in the match but we fought back, which shows our belief,” he said.
Bavuma’s Great Leadership
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma also deserves huge credit. His 55 not out in the second innings came when his team needed it most. He also made smart bowling changes that worked perfectly.
“Very exciting to be on the right side of the result,” Bavuma said after winning. He praised his bowlers for bringing the team back into the game again and again.
This was Bavuma’s 10th win in 11 games as South Africa’s Test captain. His leadership has been outstanding.
India’s Home Problems Continue
This defeat is worrying for India. After losing 3-0 to New Zealand at home recently, now they have lost to South Africa at Eden Gardens. India have now lost 4 of their last 6 Test matches at home.
The pitch at Eden Gardens was tough for batting. The ball was turning and bouncing a lot. But South Africa found a way to win on the same pitch. That’s what matters in cricket.
Losing Shubman Gill to injury during the chase was unlucky. But India should have scored enough runs in their first innings to avoid such a close finish.
What Happens Next
The second and final Test will be played in Guwahati starting November 22, 2025. South Africa are already leading 1-0, so they cannot lose the series now. India will play to avoid losing 2-0 and to save some pride.
The team will need to check if Shubman Gill can recover in time for the next Test. They also need to figure out what went wrong with the batting in the chase.
For South Africa, this win is massive. Beating India in India is one of the hardest things to do in Test cricket. They have shown great character and skill to win this match.
This Test match will be remembered for years. South Africa’s comeback from difficult positions showed their fighting spirit. Simon Harmer’s spin bowling was world-class. Temba Bavuma’s captaincy was smart and brave.
For India, this loss hurts badly. Failing to chase 124 runs at home is hard to accept. The team needs to bounce back quickly in the second Test.
Cricket fans witnessed a thriller at Eden Gardens. Low scores, turning pitch, and a close finish made it exciting. South Africa proved why they are the World Test Champions. India now have serious work to do before the next match.
