1st Test: India in striking distance of taking lead over SA despite losing three wickets before lunch

Kolkata, Nov 15, 2025

India have put themselves in striking distance of taking the lead over South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens, despite losing wickets at regular intervals during the morning session on day two’s play.

The hosts added 101 runs in the morning session, but also lost three wickets while skipper Shubman Gill retired hurt with a neck spasm. The first hour yielded 38 runs without any loss of wickets, before the tempo picked up in the second hour with 63 runs scored, though it came at the loss of crucial wickets.

In the morning, KL Rahul and Washington Sundar did brilliantly to navigate and get runs in the face of tough batting conditions. While Rahul got going to get fours off Maharaj and Marco Jansen en route to be the 18th Indian batter to amass 4000 Test runs,