Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin showered praise on Temba Bavuma after South Africa registered a 30-run win at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday. Bavuma was dismissed cheaply in the first innings but scored a crucial knock of 55 runs in the second innings to help his team post 153 runs on the board, thereby giving a target of 124 runs.

In response, India was skittled out for 93 runs as the hosts batters could not deliver. Meanwhile, Bavuma faced 136 balls and scored four boundaries in his knock. The Proteas captain was solid in his defense and Ashwin highlighted that he hasn’t seen many Indian batters bat like Bavuma.

“So, on a pitch, where you have to fear the pacers and the spinners, and run scoring options are limited, then it is very difficult. So, credit to South Africa, despite Maharaj having a very ordinary game, they came out on top. The way Temba Bavuma played in this game, I have not seen too many Indian batters also bat like that. Washington Sundar defended outstandingly, Axar Patel has a class defence, but I have not seen too many players defend like Bavuma,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin slammed the current crop of batters and said the game would have gone into the fourth day if the previous generation of batters had batted on the same pitch.

“In another game, in another era, where spin bowling was compacted very well, Amol Muzumdar, Mithun Manhas, even Sachin Tendulkar in his prime. If they had played in the same wicket against spin, the game would have gone four days. And now, in this game, in a batting lineup of two teams, where only three batters have defended the ball well, among 15-16 batters. So, if you want to play on turning pitches, your game against spin has to be very good. If it is not, then don’t play on such pitches. As simple as that,” Ashwin opined.

“We are not the best players of spin going around in the world at this point of time. Many Western teams are much better players of spin at this point of time. The problem is that the kind of wicket we used in Ahmedabad against the West Indies, we cannot use it against South Africa. They will get Jansen, Rabada, and Bosch, then there will be no home advantage. Instead, you can use pitches like the one that was there in Delhi. This team is not ready to play on these type of wickets,” he continued.

Ashwin said India should have been able to chase down the target of 124 against South Africa. None of the Indian batters could even breach the 35-run mark in the second innings.

“If you are playing against the West Indies in Eden Gardens and Guwahati, then no problem. The matches against South Africa should have been scheduled in Ahmedabad and Delhi instead. Whatever said and done, India should have got 124, we did not have the adequate resources to counter spin in a good manner,” Ashwin said.

India and South Africa will take on each other in the second Test at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, from Saturday onwards.