India went down in the first Test against South Africa at the Edens Gardens inside three days, succumbing to a 30-run defeat on a crumbling surface.

The hosts squandered advantage after gaining a handy 30-run lead in the first innings as Proteas set a target of 124. During the chase, India’s innings folded for a paltry 93, conceding an unassailable 1-0 lead to the visitors in the two-match series.

While Indian coach Gautam Gambhir insisted the Kolkata pitch held “no demons”, legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn had completely different assessment.

“He said there weren’t demons in the pitch? I certainly saw quite a lot,” Steyn said on JioHotstar after the match.

“You know, as Anil was saying, some balls are spinning two feet past the bat, hitting the keeper on the shoulder. The next one is skidding through, hitting the pad, and you’re out. That’s pretty tough to bat on. When batters don’t have the option to score runs, the application of defense becomes the biggest key. That itself means batting is really difficult,” he added.

Only South African captain Temba Bavuma managed to register a 40-plus score in the game, finishing unbeaten on 55 in the third innings. For India, Washington Sundar was the sole batter to cross 30-run mark in the fourth innings, battling his way to 31 off 92 deliveries.

Steyn acknowledged Bavuma and Sundar as the most solid batters on display, he argued the pitch was so unpredictable that an unplayable delivery could have dismissed them at any moment.

“The two who applied themselves best were Washington Sundar in the fourth innings and Temba Bavuma. Even they looked like they could have gotten out at any time; a ball had their number on it. But their defense was the most solid. This wicket certainly has demons in it, that’s for sure. Any Test match that finishes within three days has got some demons in it, for sure,” Steyn stated.

During the post-match presser, India coach Gambhir had defended the pitch, calling it challenging but playable.

“First of all, there were no demons in the wicket. This wasn’t an unplayable wicket. Temba Bavuma made runs, Axar made runs, Washington scored. The point is, on a turning track, if you see the stats, the majority of wickets were taken by seamers. If you have a decent technique, mental toughness, and, most importantly, the right temperament, you can make runs. If you grind and bat long enough, you can score. Players who defended well, like KL Rahul and Washington Sundar, they scored. This was not a pitch where you cannot make runs. We have played on tracks like these before,” Gambhir told reporters.

The two teams will now square off in the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati from November 22.