India's fragile spin temperament laid bare at Eden Gardens

India were effectively 10 for 3 when Washington Sundar and Dhruv Jurel walked back at Lunch on Day 3. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul were both gone, and Shubman Gill was still in hospital after a neck spasm. Their target of 124 had never been chased down at Eden Gardens before, and the pitch had left batters questioning their very vocation just a day earlier.

South Africa began Day 3 without using a roller on the pitch, hoping to preserve its uneven bounce for their bowlers later. The dilemma was that they had to bat on that same surface first to set a defendable total.

Rishabh Pant opened with Ravindra Jadeja from the pavilion end and Axar Patel from the other. Jadeja produced one delivery that turned sharply, but such moments were rare as Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch extended South Africa's lead past 100 with little trouble.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj cleaned up the remaining South African wickets around the drinks break. India began their chase knowing the bounce wasn't treacherous—there was turn, as expected on a Day 3 wicket, but the real challenge was yet to come.

After Lunch, India collapsed, losing their remaining seven wickets to spin in just 28 overs. This defeat—their fourth in eight home Tests under Gautam Gambhir—isn't simply about a team forgetting how to play spin. These are batters who've honed their skills through years of domestic cricket, and selection isn't the issue either.

India's current problem is an inability to buckle down against spin. There's a compulsive need to combat accuracy with urgency, but it's not about abandoning attack altogether. Coaches encourage changing gears to force bowlers and captains to adjust, creating scoring opportunities—but picking the right moment is crucial.

Gautam Gambhir said after the match: "In Test cricket, there is not only a need for skill, there is also a need for mental toughness. Because, in Test cricket, if you are not able to absorb pressure, no matter how much of a turning wicket it is, the first 10-15 minutes are tough. Once you see that off, things start getting easier. So, more than the skill, I think it is the ability to absorb pressure."

He added: "It was a wicket where your technique can be judged. There is a mental toughness challenge. And more important than that is, do you have the temperament? If you are looking to grind, if you are looking to bat long, then you can make runs. If your defence is solid, then it's not a wicket where you can't make runs. We have played on such wickets before."

Consider the dismissals of Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant. Jurel went after a long-hop from Simon Harmer—the right idea in a small chase, despite the outcome. Pant, however, stepped out against the same bowler after just nine balls of struggle, driven by an unwillingness to endure Harmer's consistency, and gave a return catch.

Ravindra Jadeja, an exceptional Test batter this year, committed forward twice against Harmer without accounting for drift, line, or angle.

These failures were highlighted by the visiting captain's display of mental application. What Gambhir called "mental toughness," South Africa's Shukri Conrad described as being "comfortable with the suffocation" imposed by India's spinners.

Ironically, India's batters lacked the patience to blunt spin—the same strategy their bowlers use to wear down opponents.

Damningly, South Africa's No. 9 Corbin Bosch faced more deliveries than every Indian batter except Washington Sundar in the second innings—even after India used the light roller. Washington was India's only batter to face more than 50 balls in both innings, while Bavuma's 136 set up South Africa perfectly.

After the match, Gambhir made two points clear: This was the kind of pitch India asked for, and it cannot be an excuse for his batters. If Guwahati offers a similar surface next week, India's batters will know one thing for certain: time spent at the crease doesn't just heal old wounds—it prevents new ones.