India lost their first 2 wickets before stumps and now face a daunting task of batting for 3 full sessions in order to salvage a draw on the final day.
The declaration has handed India a daunting 549-run target to chase, a total that seems nearly impossible to chase down on a deteriorating pitch.
India have basically 3 and a half session to try and hold on their wickets and fight for a draw as going for a such a mammoth total on a deteriorating wicket is almost impossible.
Openers Ryan Rickelton (35 off 64) and Aiden Markram (29 off 84) continued their good form, stitching together another fifty-run stand. However, Jadeja broke through with two key wickets.
Indian batting order experienced a collapse that saw go down from 95/1 to 119/6 on the day.
The last instance where India lost a Test by an innings at home occurred over 15 years ago, during the 1st Test in Nagpur from February 6-9, 2010, when South Africa toured India.
India collapsed from 95/1 to 122/7 on day three against South Africa in Guwahati after losing six wickets for 27 runs. Here's how the dramatic slide unfolded.
The responsibility of leading the team returns to KL Rahul, who last captained India in the 2023 ODI series against South Africa, a contest India won 2-1.
At stumps, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25 with new batter Kyle Verreynne at the other end as Mohammed Siraj had Tony de Zorzi (28) caught behind.
Rishabh Pant becomes only the second wicketkeeper to lead India in Tests after MS Dhoni, who captained in 60 matches between 2008 and 2014.
With South Africa holding a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, and Shubman Gill ruled out, Pant admitted the situation is far from ideal
Rishabh Pant to lead India in Guwahati Test as Shubman Gill ruled out due to neck spasm. The live toss for IND vs SA 2nd Test will take place at 8:30 AM IST
Kuldeep said Test cricket still holds a special place for most players and acknowledged that remaining in contention across formats requires both discipline and clarity.
Two specialist batters, B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, are available, along with seam-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who rejoins the squad after being rested for the first Test.
In its official statement, the BCCI revealed that Gill has been responding positively to treatment and has been cleared to travel.
In addition to discussing the pitch, Gambhir updated on the condition of captain Shubman Gill, who had left the field with a neck injury during India's second innings.
The loss adds pressure on India, who have now suffered three defeats in the current WTC cycle, including two earlier in England.
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The highest successful run chase at the Eden Gardens dates back more than 20 years, when India chased down 117 against South Africa in 2004