Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara said the batting unit needs to find ways to adapt better and score runs on difficult pitches after suffering a 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday. 

In a challenging chase of 124, India could not answer the questions posed by South Africa’s bowlers, led by Simon Harmer’s 4-21, and were all out for 93 in 35 overs. Without their regular captain Shubman Gill, who was sidelined from the Test match due to a neck injury requiring hospitalisation, India’s batting collapsed like nine pins, with no batter reaching the 50-run mark.

“I believe that firstly, we don’t know whether the team management actually wanted such a pitch. But whatever the surface is, you need to perform on it and you need to be very well prepared. I would say we should have bowled slightly better and, at the same time, batted better.

“Unfortunately, we were short of one batter. Shubman Gill got injured in the first innings and wasn’t available in the second innings as well. That was a big loss for the Indian team. But the Indian batters will have to find a way to score runs on such pitches,” said Pujara on JioStar, after the game ended.

Following their defeat to South Africa, India have now lost four of their last six Test matches at home. Pujara, who played 103 Tests for India from 2010 to 2023, also felt that, apart from head coach Gautam Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak should assist the batters in being more proactive with their footwork and range of shots to score runs on spin-friendly pitches.

“If the Indian team ends up playing more matches on surfaces like this, then where do the scoring opportunities come from? That is something that needs to be discussed in the team meeting. The batting coach will also have to speak to the batters. They need to use their feet, play the sweep shot, and play a little more positively on such pitches. You need to put the bowler under pressure, and that is something the Indian batters failed to do in this particular Test match.”

India will have some time to regroup and reassess their batting plans before facing South Africa in the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on November 22.