Former England skipper Michael Vaughan minced no words after India suffered a humiliating 30-run defeat against South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The hosts managed only 93 runs while chasing a modest target of 124, falling short in 35 overs. Simon Harmer starred for the Proteas, claiming four wickets, while Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj chipped in with two wickets each. Vaughan took to X to express his disapproval of the pitch India prepared. On Sunday afternoon, he tweeted, “Prepare a pitch like that and you deserve to lose against the World Test champs …. brilliant win by SA …. #INDvSA." India’s misfortune was compounded by a first-innings collapse. Despite expectations, no batter managed to surpass 40 runs, and the team was dismissed for 189 in 62.2 overs. The Proteas had earlier posted 159 runs in 55 overs after opting to bat first, losing momentum following the early dismissal of Ryan Rickelton by Jasprit Bumrah. Read also: India Slip in WTC Table After Eden Gardens Defeat to South Africa South Africa dominates; Harmer breaks Indian records In their second innings, Temba Bavuma carried South Africa with an unbeaten 56, yet the team’s total remained modest at 153 runs in 54 overs. India’s chase never gained traction. Harmer continued his dominance, taking four more wickets and setting a new record as the South African spinner with the most Test wickets on Indian soil. The defeat marked the first loss for India against South Africa in a Test match at home in over 15 years. Analysts highlighted that the pitch, heavily criticised by Vaughan, played a key role. The slow, inconsistent surface challenged both sides’ batting line-ups. Vaughan’s comments underlined his view that India’s preparation backfired, handing South Africa a well-earned victory. The former England captain’s verdict was clear: a team cannot expect to win when conditions are engineered against its own players. India will look to bounce back in the second Test, while South Africa aims to consolidate their lead in the two-match series.