FILE PHOTO: Cricket - South Africa return home after historic World Test Championship win - Cricket South Africa, Melrose, Johannesburg, South Africa - June 18, 2025 South Africa's Temba Bavuma during a press conference REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
KOLKATA, India (Reuters) -South Africa pulled off a sensational victory inside three days of the opening test against India on Sunday and the manner of it would go a long way in silencing those who doubted their credentials as the reigning world test champions.
Previously known for their penchant to choke in big tournaments, South Africa registered their first major triumph in June when they beat Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The Proteas landed in India to prove that their WTC glory was no fluke and Temba Bavuma's men jumped to the second spot in WTC standings, leapfrogging India and Sri Lanka, after their 30-run victory in the low-scoring contest at Eden Gardens.
It was South Africa's first test win in India since 2010 and Bavuma led by example.
On a tricky track where the ball spun sharply and bounced irregularly, Bavuma struck the only fifty of the match by any batter and deftly marshalled his bowlers, who skittled out India for 93.
A back-pedalling Bavuma followed a swirling ball and took a smart catch to remove Axar Patel that effectively sealed their victory in front of 40,000-odd fans at Eden Gardens.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer's haul of eight wickets earned him the player-of-the-match award but Bavuma's heroic unbeaten 55 dragged his team back into the contest.
Bavuma did not disagree when asked if he felt South Africa beat India in their own game on a pitch like that.
"Yeah, probably true," he told reporters after South Africa went 1-0 up in the two-test series.
"We've come here knowing that the wickets are going to be spinner-friendly, similar to what we got in this game. So it didn't come as a surprise."
Despite having so little to defend, Bavuma said he never stopped trusting his bowlers.
"It's not every day you go and score 125, and you feel that's a winning score.
"But we had to believe. We knew it was tough. We saw with our own innings, with the bat."
India were one batsman short as skipper Shubman Gill retired hurt in the first innings and did not bat in the second.
India coach Gautam Gambhir defended the pitch, while vice-captain Rishabh Pant said they should have been able to pull off the chase even in Gill's absence.
"Definitely there was help in the wicket," Pant said.
"A (target) of 120 can be tricky on these kinds of surfaces, but at the same time, as a team we should be able to soak in the pressure."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in Kolkata; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
