Barsapara Cricket Stadium: Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara said the batting unit needs to find ways to adapt better and score runs on difficult pitches after suffering a 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
In a challenging chase of 124, India could not answer the questions posed by South Africa’s bowlers, led by Simon Harmer’s 4-21, and were all out for 93 in 35 overs. Without their regular captain Shubman Gill, who was sidelined from the Test match due to a neck injury requiring hospitalisation, India’s batting collapsed like nine pins, with no batter reaching the 50-run mark.
“I believe that firstly, we don’t know whether the team management actually wanted such a pitch. But whatever the surface is, you need to perform on it and you need to be very well prepared. I would say we should have bowled slightly better and, at the same time, batted better.
