The intrigue of Test cricket with its twists and turns, gripping suspense of the see-saw battle of wits and the lure of the unknown had coaxed around 50,000 to Eden Gardens on Sunday.
South Africa were ahead by 63 runs going into the third day, considered valuable, yet insecure, in the context of a low-scoring game. The Proteas had three wickets remaining, and if the Indians had felt a spring in their steps, they couldn't be faulted.
But Temba Bavuma's team are prone to staging miracles and setting up fairy-tale finishes. There's nothing flashy or elegant about Bavuma apart from his consistency to respond valiantly to distress signals.
His unbeaten half-century, which propelled their lead to 123 runs, was enough to set the alarm bells ringing in the Indian camp. Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj then revived memories of the spin demons on a crumbling wicket as India fell 30 runs short of the target.
Four Tests have now been lost to SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries in as many matches at home since Gautam Gambhir assumed the head coach's role in the middle of 2024.
The doctrine of playing on 'doctored' pitches has opened a debate and calls for urgent measures to stem the rot. Gambhir was bold enough to admit that the team management had asked for "exactly this surface", though a similar ploy had boomeranged against New Zealand.
It seems he wouldn't be averse to playing on a similar surface in Guwahati and stressed on the need for the batters to improve "mentally". The desperation to accumulate valuable World Test Championship points by playing on such pitches cost them a berth in the final last season and could return to haunt them again unless the batters reinvent their mojo.
India's record of 18 successive series victories at home had been halted by New Zealand. The tendency to opt for rank turners had stopped since 2015 when neutral wickets, which aided the spinners from third day onwards, worked to their advantage.
India's recent success in England hasn't changed Gambhir's propensity to experiment with turners. It was more about individual brilliance which fetched success against Ben Stokes' team — Shubman Gill and KL Rahul's batting, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep's fast bowling along with Ravindra Jadeja's all-round show.
The success of limited-overs cricket hasn't been reflected in Tests since the white-ball mindset often contributed to their decline in the longest format. Poor shot selection and temperament have led to the downfall of the batters as was exemplified at the Eden on Sunday.
The difference showed in the teams' mindset. South Africa always showed the belief that they could win on this surface, which was best exemplified in Bavuma's innings, while the home batters seemed circumspect about their survival. When solid defence was needed at the crease, the batters displayed modern-day T20 technique.
Marco Jansen’s double-strike to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rahul started the downfall with Harmer (4/21) running through the middle order before Maharaj completed the last rites.
It's all about the think-tank's muddled thinking which has changed India's 'tigers at home' tag. If they continue to play on turning pitches, the players need to get accustomed to such surfaces in domestic cricket.
Unless we restore the much-needed balance in the pitches, we will continue to suffer.