Eden Gardens Test collapses in three days as fans question pitches and Test future

Eden Gardens waited six long years for a Test match. After all that build-up, the match lasted two and a half days. South Africa defended 124 and bowled India out for 93, ending a match that always felt on the brink of collapsing on itself — uneven bounce, balls shooting low, edges flying everywhere.

But inside the stadium, the disappointment wasn’t so much about India losing the match. It was about the Test being over before anyone had time to settle in. Fans who had turned up across three days kept circling back to the same worry: if Tests keep getting shorter, what happens to the version of cricket they grew up loving?

A diplomat’s first Eden Test

Among the most thoughtful voices was Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to East & North East India, who has watched Tests across the UK and India but experienced Eden’s Test atmosphere for the first time. He soaked it all in — the crowds, the noise, the history — but admitted he wasn’t prepared for how things unravelled.

“I grew up with Test cricket. This is proper cricket for me,” he said. What surprised him most wasn’t the pitch, but the turnout. “It was very nice to see such good crowds after six years without a Test. That’s a real testimony to cricket fans in West Bengal. They love the game in its original form.”

Fleming admitted he didn’t expect the match to finish in three days. “When I watched Tests as a kid, four days was normal. Both teams would get 300-plus. This felt very different.”

He praised South Africa’s discipline in the final innings — “their tactics were spot-on” — but also felt the modern overload of T20s, T10s and The Hundred may be changing how players approach the long game. “Maybe the mentality has shifted. There’s less experience now of how to build Test innings.”

Comparing Eden’s atmosphere to Lord’s or The Oval, he didn’t sugarcoat it: “The fever you get here is something special. Had the result gone India’s way, the roof would have come off.”

Frustration with pitches and fear of losing long-format cricket at Eden

Further down the stands, Kaushik Mukherjee, 62, a teacher and Cricket Association of Bengal member, shook his head while talking about the pitch. For him, the problem wasn’t just that the pitch misbehaved — it was that the Test felt robbed of its natural rhythm.

“There was too much dust, the surface wasn’t right,” he said. “Test cricket is essential — quality is judged here.” Mukherjee, who has watched Eden’s greatest moments over decades, is afraid this match could earn a demerit point and set Kolkata back again. “Eden is still better than many stadiums. It deserves more Tests, not fewer.”

Quicker finishes vs the need for real contests

Sanjoy Jana, 52, an IT professional, acknowledged that today’s audience might not mind quick finishes. “People would love a three-day match now,” he said. “But I still prefer five days. This pitch didn’t give either side a fair chance.”

He predicted the target before the day began — “120 to 130,” he told his mother — and the match almost followed his script. But even he felt three days was too short for a venue that thrives on slow-build cricket.

A younger fan worried about temperament

Sankha Ghosh, 32, Airtel employee and a regular at CAB league games, didn’t blame the pitch alone. He believed South Africa survived because they handled the situation better. “Bavuma played 200 balls for 50. That temperament changed the match,” he said. “We went for flashy drives on a wicket where that shot doesn’t exist.”

For him, Eden’s Test culture is still unmatched. “Eden Gardens is the mecca of Test cricket,” he said. “Youngsters must come and watch this. Temperament wins matches.”

A clear message from the stands

If there was one common thread through the weekend, it was that Kolkata still loves Test cricket. But fans want pitches that hold up, matches that stretch, and innings that grow, collapse, revive and surprise — not games that evaporate before the weekend is over.