After a dramatic Day 2 in the Kolkata Test, which saw 15 wickets tumble, Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted that the hosts did not anticipate the surface to deteriorate so quickly. Despite the surprise, he emphasized that players are expected to adapt to the varying challenges presented by different pitches in Test cricket.
Responding to South Africa’s first-innings score of 159, India resumed their first innings at 37/1. However, they could only manage a total of 189. By stumps on Day 2, India had managed to reduce the Proteas to 93/7 in their second innings. South Africa holds a lead of just 63 runs, with only three wickets remaining.
### Pitch Conditions Took Everyone by Surprise
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Morkel acknowledged that the Indian team was caught off guard by the way the Eden Gardens pitch behaved.
> “I mean, to be honest with you, even we didn’t expect the wicket to deteriorate so quickly. Looking at it the day before the game, even the morning of the game, I thought, when we watched that first couple of hours, that it was a good wicket. So it did deteriorate quite quickly, which was unexpected,” said Morkel.
He went on to add,
> “But I think that’s the beauty sometimes of playing in the subcontinent, that you need to be able to adapt and you need to be able to react to conditions quite quickly and that’s a sort of challenge that we are facing here at the moment. So in terms of surfaces, you know, obviously we want to play to our strengths.”
### Jadeja and Kuldeep Shine with the Ball
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja provided the standout performance for India with figures of 4-29 in 13 overs. Kuldeep Yadav also impressed, picking up 2 wickets for just 12 runs in his five overs.
### India’s Four-Spinner Strategy
India’s decision to field four spinners in this Test against South Africa has sparked much debate among fans and experts. When asked whether the team intends to persist with this strategy in upcoming matches, Morkel responded:
> “We will take it game by game. Pick the best XI that we feel can get the win for India. We are not going to look too far ahead. We are just going to focus now on playing this game as well as possible. Take the learning from that, arrive in Guwahati and see what we get there.”
So far in the Test, Jadeja and Kuldeep have claimed four wickets apiece, while Axar Patel has picked up two. Washington Sundar, meanwhile, has bowled only one over in the match.
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Stay tuned for further updates on the Kolkata Test as both teams continue to battle challenging conditions at Eden Gardens. For the latest cricket news, including IPL Auction 2025 updates, follow Sportskeeda.
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