IND vs SA

2:40 PM local time and IST: An incredible win for the Proteas on an incredible cricket ground! South Africa must be thrilled to bits with such a big win in alien conditions! But on the other side of the ledger, India, the home team, must ask some tough questions of themselves, especially when it comes to batting against spin. So, the bandwagon moves on to Guwahati now for the 2nd Test. The first ball is to be bowled there at 9:00 AM IST from the 22nd of November. We will see you all for that match. Can India make a comeback into the series? Or will South Africa seal the deal there and script a memorable series win away from home? We shall find out! For now, this is the duo Darpan and Bidipto, taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Simon Harmer (Player of the Match, 4/30 in the 1st innings and 4/21 in the 2nd innings): "I felt today, it probably for a little bit better for batting. But, nice to contribute! I've been here before with the team, we've tasted defeat a lot, we've been behind a lot, but, to come back like this and win, will take it with both hands! Wins like these don't come too often! I'm not a stats-man, I'm a believer of doing it on the spot. I think I was quite lucky with a few wickets today, but there are certain days on which you bowl good balls and don't get any, and then there are certain days that when the opposite happens! I didn't know that Shubman Gill wasn't going to bat, so when I saw Temba and the boys run around in joy, I was confused! We needed to make sure that we put the ball in the right areas. We had to make the play and get those wickets, we did that!" 

Temba Bavuma (South Africa captain): "Very exciting! I think you want to be part of games like these and come out on the right side. The guys held on to their nerves and our bowling was just superb! Our bowlers got us back into the game and of course, that partnership I had with Corbin Bosch was important. I think the wicket played a bit better this morning, but it was a case of staying in the game. We did that. You are only as good as your players. But from a batting point of view, I just kept things simple. I wanted to come here and do well, I don't have the best of records, so, it was crucial that I contribute and change that. Awareness was key, and adapting to the conditions was the thing. I didn't change too much in the second innings, but just applied myself better. We didn't have Kagiso Rabada today, but these conditions assist Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj. Plus, we have an attack which is well rounded. (On that catch of Axar Patel) Definitely it wasn't easy! But, I'm thankful that I caught it. You don't want to leave them to someone else, you want to do it yourself!" 

Rishabh Pant (Vice-captain, India): "You feel that you cannot dwell into a game like this much. We should have chased the score. But the pressure kept building on us. Temba and Bosch had a brilliant partnership in the morning and it hurt us. There was help on the wicket. A score like 120 was going to be tough on this wicket. But we should have chased it down. The match has just finished, we have not thought about what to do in the next match. But we will come back stronger."

Keshav Maharaj says, "There were a bit of nerves (when Axar hit those boundaries). Tried to be clear in my plans. Luckily a good catch by Temba (Bavuma). It is hard when the sun is out. Take nothing away from how Marco Jansen started in the second innings. He set the tone. We took a lot of confidence from the win in Pakistan. But we knew that it would be a different challenge in India. The boys did really well. (Simon) Harmer was a lot more consistent than I was. He showed why he has over 1,000 first class wickets. But also credit goes to Temba too for giving us the right fields. (On winning in India) It was one box that was not ticked. So, really thrilled."

2:12 PM local time and IST: South Africa win the Test match by 30 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the series!

What a match! What a 'moving day' this has been! Day 3 has delivered like no other and one has to congratulate the South African resistance in the 1st session!

Temba Bavuma scored a highly impressive, match-defining 55 runs! With him, he had the tail as support! What could have been a target of 100 runs or less, ended up being a target in excess of 120!

And then came the Indian slide! One batter fell and another followed. It was like a house of cards for India today, things just did not work out with the bat. Of course, the pitch did not favour the batters. But that cannot work as an excuse when you are the home side and chasing something under 150 to win. By no means was this surface a mine-field. By no means was this pitch unplayable. Just ask Washington Sundar!

But perhaps, India's biggest problem these days, is what is traditionally thought of as their strength - batting against spin! 

Four wickers to Simon Harmer, two wickets to Keshav Maharaj and one wicket to part-time off-spinner Aiden Markram. Just take a look at their economy rates friends - 1.50, 4.10 and 1.70. 

The batting struggled. It struggled big time against spin. There are no two ways about it.

The Eden Gardens crowd was treated to some decent batting by Washington, by Ravindra Jadeja for a bit, and by Axar Patel with those three big shots. But that was that!

Everything else was South Africa. Everything else. The bowling of course, the fielding for most parts, the field placements and without doubt, the captaincy under pressure! Temba Bavuma has been a standout performer as skipper, make no mistake about that friends!

The World Test Champions played like one but the team that is enviable at home, has been found wanting, once again, even with a new-look.

34.6 Keshav Maharaj to Mohammed Siraj, GONE! India are 9-down, or are they? Rod Tucker tells the visitors to halt their celebrations. They are going to check for the fairness of the catch at first slip. Looks like it is confirmed. And the players are trudging off. Gill is not going to bat. South Africa have won this. Their first Test win on Indian soil in 15 years. Good length ball from around the wicket, in the channel outside off. Siraj went for a hard-handed drive, only for the ball to spin and take the outside edge. Good low catch by Markram at first slip sealed the fate. India have now lost 4 of their last 6 home Tests.

34.5 Keshav Maharaj to Axar Patel, CAUGHT THIS TIME! One shot too many in the hindsight. Yet again, flighted outside off. Patel tried to fetch it from there and deposit it over long-on, but failed to catch it in the meat of the blade. It went high and Bavuma, at midwicket, near the edge of the square, did well to settle under it and gobble it. Maharaj folded his hands and thanked the heavens for it. 

34.4 Keshav Maharaj to Axar Patel, PUMMELLED! SIX MORE! Lobbed up on the fuller side of good length, from over the wicket. The width on offer allowed a free swing of the bat and the ball went sailing over long-on.

34.3 Keshav Maharaj to Axar Patel, flatter, outside off, on a length. Chopped towards the sweeper on the off side. Axar wanted the run, but Bumrah denied. Uff!