Harbhajan Singh Says ‘RIP Test Cricket’, Calls Kolkata Game a ‘Mockery’

Former Team India cricketer Harbhajan Singh faulted the performance of his compatriots as they fell to an opening Test defeat versus South Africa. India’s Test team failed to contain their guests and slumped to a 30-run defeat in an encounter that left many questions unanswered.

Veterans have been critical of India’s performance in that tie, and Harbhajan Singh commented on social media right after this surprise loss:

“Test cricket india vs South Africa the game almost over on 2nd day isn’t finished yet. What a mockery of test cricket #RIPTESTCRICKET,” Singh posted on social media.

Why Did Singh Say ‘RIP Test Cricket’ on Social Media?

Singh is one of several prominent voices who expressed displeasure over India’s opening Test outing against South Africa at home. It seemed proceedings were set to end on the second evening as batters on both sides struggled to make any significant contribution to their team’s results.

South Africa’s 159 in the first innings followed by India’s sluggish 93 for 7 drew sharp criticisms from several quarters. Most analysts blamed poor pitch conditions for the horrendous batting performance while bowlers had a field day against their opponents. Pacers run riot in this encounter with 12 of 17 wickets across two innings coming from fast bowling action.

Lowered standards in the game triggered by poor pitch conditions fuelled the comments made by Harbhajan Singh and other voices.   

Cheteshwar Pujara Disagrees with Team India Coach Over Pitch

Retired Team India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara criticised the head coach’s comments claiming his side got the perfect pitch against South Africa in Kolkata. Pujara believes India’s batting lineup struggled to make an impact throughout the game due to the pitch’s unfavourable condition:

“I don’t quite agree with this point because, given the kind of pitch it was, you can’t just blame the batters. If you want to play on such surfaces, your preparation has to be different. I don’t think the Indian team was fully prepared, even though Gauti bhai was saying that this is the kind of wicket they wanted. This pitch was not easy for batting-that’s a fact,” Pujara said during a recent interview.

Aakash Chopra Faults Excuses from Team India

A rain of excuses trailed India’s shock defeat against South Africa in the opening Test. Former Team India cricketer Aakash Chopra dismissed these excuses while claiming poor preparation was behind the side’s loss in Kolkata. South Africa secured victory in just over two-and-a-half days of cricket, and Chopra believes pitch preparation could have been better from the hosts:

“Yes, pitch preparation is not a perfect science. You don’t always get exactly what you ask for. But is this the pitch you want? Is this the best way for the Indian team to maximize their chances of winning? In the WTC, will the Indian team move forward or fall behind?” the veteran shared via his YouTube channel.

Shubman Gill’s Injury Scare a Major Blow for India before Second South Africa Test

Team India Test captain Shubman Gill may not be fit enough to lead his side against South Africa in their next encounter. Gill experienced a neck spasm at the Kolkata game and had to receive immediate medical care afterwards. The captain travelled with his teammates on Wednesday but remains a major doubt ahead of India’s next game.

Batting coach claims Gill appearance in second Test depends on expert advice

India’s bat coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed Gill’s participation will be decided on November 21:

“He is definitely recovering really well,” the coach said. “Now, the decision [to play or not] will be taken tomorrow evening. The physios, doctors, they will have to take a call that, [ and even] if he is fully recovered, [there should be a guarantee that] he should not get that spasm again. If we have a guarantee that, very likely, he won’t have this issue again, then he will play,” Mr. Kotak said.

The batting coach believes BCCI officials will keep Gill out of India’s squad if any potential risks exist:

“If there is a doubt, then I am sure, he will take rest [for] one more game, because it won’t be helpful to the team,” the coach added.

India Full Squad for 2025 Test vs South Africa

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Devdutt Padikkal, Akash Deep.

South Africa Full Squad for 2025 Test Tour of India

Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Corbin Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy, Zubayr Hamza, Wiaan Mulder.

IND vs SA 2025 Test Full Schedule

India will face South Africa in the second Test from November 22, 2025. Head coach Gautam Gambhir will aim to avoid defeat against the visitors as India target an improved finish in World Test Championship (WTC) rankings.