Kolkata, Nov. 19 -- Every cricket pundit has had something to say about India's batting implosion at Eden Gardens but let's go with Kevin Pietersen, one of the earliest innovators of Test batting who also averaged a cool 43 in India. "Just hear me out here: Seeing the wicket first and then the scores and then the result in Kolkata, it can only be put down to batters' modern day techniques," Pietersen wrote on X. "Batters grow up now to hit sixes and play switch-hits. They don't grow up to build an innings and learn the art of survival. This is fact, as I know what's being taught and I'm a part of player discussions." This matter-of-fact commentary shouldn't come as a shock. Ranji Trophy excellence doesn't merit selection these days, and Test specialists aren't fashionable anymore. 93 all out at home, thus, didn't exactly happen overnight. It's an unavoidable response to bad habits and its compulsive continuation under the veil of denial and ignorance. And it's not as if India weren't alerted to its possibility. Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar bowling England to a 2-1 victory in 2012 wasn't as much a series win as it was a guiding beacon to other teams seeking a way to breach India's defences. Pune 2017 (vs Australia), Chennai 2021 (England), Indore 2023 (Australia) and Hyderabad 2024 (England) may have been isolated defeats but it was only a matter of time before a visiting team could string them in succession. Enter New Zealand last October, reaffirming India's worst nightmare as their finest stood united in their inability to prevent the 3-0 whipping. This defeat at Eden Gardens feels like an early, eerie reminder of that ignominy. The transition may have been partly responsible for this. What else would India do in the first Test they played against a quality opposition at home without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma other than crash and burn to 93 all out? That kind of experience and awareness can't be garnered overnight. But the fundamentals of playing the turning ball didn't change overnight, as affirmed by KL Rahul in the first innings, Washington Sundar in both innings, and Temba Bavuma who scored the only fifty of the Test. "I think my game is simple. I try to play around my defence," Bavuma said after the game. "When it turns, you don't have much time to adjust. My message to the guys was to just try to play what's in front of you. Try not to have preconceived ideas." Simple and effective, Bavuma's advice triggered a turnaround that cost India 60 runs on Sunday morning. More than the runs scored, it was the time South Africa spent on a tricky pitch that was instructive of how one must approach batting in the subcontinent. Bavuma alone batted 183 minutes in the second innings, a minute less than India's top four put together later in the day. Wearing out a spinner, building partnerships-the basic things that make scoring easier with time-didn't seem to be the priority even though the pitch wasn't as vicious compared to the second day. Every batter has a different coping mechanism when the going gets tough. But lately, the compulsion to cope with jailbreak shots without putting in the necessary time has become too widespread. Gautam Gambhir was scathing of that mentality. "It was a wicket where your technique can be judged. There is a mental toughness challenge. And more important than that is, do you have the temperament?," he asked. "If you are looking to grind, if you are looking to bat long, then you can make runs. If your defence is solid, then it's not a wicket where you can't make runs." Truth be told, it didn't seem India were prepared for this pitch at all even though Gambhir claimed to have asked for it. Only Washington Sundar faced more balls across two innings (174) than anyone on either side. Barring Washington and Ravindra Jadeja, all three middle order batters fell to shots that weren't the need of the hour. Dhruv Jurel was caught at square leg when India were just coming out of the woods with a 32-run stand, his choice of shot not as much the issue as his failure to read the field set up. Rishabh Pant's dismissal, given he had been at the crease for only 12 balls, was typical but he should have played the match situation. Even more perplexing was how Axar Patel failed to rein in his aggression despite taking 16 runs off Keshav Maharaj in four balls. Attacking Maharaj was no doubt a bold initiative, one that could have ultimately forced Bavuma to pull him out of the attack. But Patel was also the last recognised batter standing between South Africa and their first ever win in India in 15 years. Game awareness should have dictated better judgment. But Patel, as highlighted by Pietersen, belongs to a generation that just doesn't know how to win by grafting runs against spin....