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India vs South Africa Test: Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan was forthright in his response as he said that “India deserved to lose” the 1st Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata after the hosts chose to prepare a mediocre pitch.

The Eden Gardens pitch has been in the spotlight following the first Test between India and South Africa, which was concluded in less than three days, with the hosts bundling out for 93, failing to chase down 124 after veteran off-spinner Simon Harmer's four-wicket haul.

Meanwhile, the result continued the worrying tendency of home setbacks that has seen them lose four of their last six home Tests and nine of the 18 matches under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

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The Eden Gardens pitch faced severe scrutiny, with the Kolkata track offering variable bounce and a noticeably uneven colour profile, sparking debate about preparation. As the Test unfolded, with 26 wickets tumbling down in the first two days.

After the hosts' defeat in the first Test, Vaughan took to X and expressed his unfiltered views, saying that the hosts deserved to be losers for opting for a pitch “like that.”

“Prepare a pitch like that and you deserve to lose against the World Test champs …. brilliant win by SA …. #INDvSA,” Vaughan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier, India head coach Gautam Gambhir backed Eden Gardens' under-fire curator while bemoaning his batters' inability to "absorb pressure."

"It was not an unplayable wicket; there were no demons. If you are willing to put your head down and if you have a solid defence, if you have a temperament, you can definitely score runs," Gambhir said at the post-match media interaction.

The match witnessed 38 wickets (as Shubman Gill was retired hurt) fall in just eight sessions, and the pacers picked 16 scalps, while spinners accounted for 22.

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"We keep talking about turning track, but if you look at the 40 wickets, majority of the wickets went to seamers. So, if you are out on the turning track or seamers. I don't think it was a tough wicket. It was a wicket where your technique can be judged, your mental toughness can be challenged, and more important than that is your temperament," Gambhir said in his assessment.

"Because if you are looking to grind, if you are looking to bat long, then you can make runs. But if you are in an attacking mindset, or if you try to play attacking cricket, then it is difficult," said the India head coach.

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