India eye quick win as wickets tumble on a dry pitch at Eden

Jadeja's 4-for reduces Proteas to 93/7 in the second innings, only 63 ahead, on second day of the first Test

- Somshuvra Laha

Kagiso Rabada on Friday, Shubman Gill on Saturday - two different injuries have left the two most eminent players of India and South Africa indisposed.

But it was an uneven Eden Gardens pitch that tormented both sides more, making fluent scoring impossible and torpedoing the hope sparked by a promising first hour when India were slowly unshackling themselves.

Eleven wickets fell on the first day, 15 on the second, and the highest individual score hasn't gone past KL Rahul's 39 in three innings now. South Africa have a lead of 63, but India should wrap it up easily on Sunday even if Gill doesn't come out to bat because of neck spasm.

SA skipper Temba Bavuma was waging a lone battle like Rahul did in the first innings, and at times it felt that maybe the difference was all in the mind. This wasn't a raging turner but the pitch was unplayable at times with some balls staying low and some spitting off length.

"It did deteriorate quite quickly, which was unexpected," said India bowling coach Morne Morkel later. "But that's the beauty sometimes of playing in the subcontinent. You need to be able to adapt and you need to be react to conditions quite quickly."