Gautam Gambhir’s THIS Big Mistake Gifted South Africa Their First Win in 15 Years

South Africa secured their much-awaited win in a Test after a gap of 15 years, after giving the home team a defeat by 30 runs in the ongoing bilateral two-match Test series in India. With the Test being held on the grounds of Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, both sides entered the match with contrasting sides. The match began with India continuing on their toss loss and on a pitch that offered sharp spin, uneven bounce, and a comparatively difficult pitch. Both sides struggled to build a long-term partnership, and the match quickly ended with a result on the third day. India initially took a narrow first innings lead, but their fourth innings collapsed, shifting the match momentum completely to the visitors' side, where Temba Bavuma and Simon Harmer won the match by just 30 runs. India’s defeat has made fans and analysts question several selection calls that weakened the balance of the team that once dominated, and in the end, Gautam Gambhir’s big mistake gifted South Africa their first win in 15 years.

Why India Lost Against South Africa in IND vs SA 1st Test?

After the home defeat, Gautam Gambhir’s mistakes and why India Lost Against South Africa became a major talking point among fans and lovers of the game. His several decisions created a direct impact on India’s poor results. Their first mistake was dropping Sarfaraz Khan from the test setup, even though he scored 150+ in his last test series. His form and stability in the middle order could have helped the team on a surface that required stability, patience, and technique. The second mistake was dropping Sai Sudarshan from XI when he scored 87 & 39 in the last two matches. At a time when India struggled with top-order stability, this decision backfired. The third mistake was dropping Abhimanya Easwaran without giving him a debut. India needed an opener, especially after Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury and could not bat in the second innings.
These decisions not just backfired for the team but also collectively weakened India’s batting strength in the India vs South Africa First Test, forcing inexperienced batters into pressure situations. This defeat not only highlighted Team India’s struggles in the batting lineup but also highlighted the downward trend under Gambhir’s leadership. His Test records now include heavy defeats, including whitewashed series against New Zealand, Border Gavaskar Trophy 3-0 loss, and now this new home defeat.

IND vs SA 1st Test

The India vs South Africa Test started with South Africa scoring 159 runs in the first innings, where Bumrah took a five-wicket haul, and India seemed in control with 189 runs and a 30-run lead. The match on Day 2 turned competitive when visitors fought back with a total of 153. India only needed 124 to win, but that chase collapsed with excellent efforts from Marco Jansen, who dismissed Jaiswal and KL Rahul, our only top-order hopes after Gill’s injury. Later, Simon Harmer took four wickets and India finished at 93 with all-out. India started strongly, but South Africa fought back, held strong, and earned themselves a historic win. The IND vs SA 1st Test defeat is a sign for India to know the importance of selection and set their playing XI accordingly.