We have to find a way to beat them in their own conditions: Harmer

Kolkata, Nov 15 (PTI) South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer, who grabbed 4/30 to bowl India out for 189 and keep his team marginally ahead in a low-scoring first Test, said the inconsistent Eden Gardens pitch was far more playable than the “craters” he encountered on his previous India tour in 2015.

With 15 wickets falling on day 2 of the match and South Africa hoping to stretch their overall lead past 100, Harmer said the match remained “a cauldron” of pressure for batters from both sides.

“The wickets in 2015 were probably worse. If I think about the wicket in Mohali it basically disintegrated on day one and Nagpur was the same -- I can remember like craters out of the wicket," Harmer said after day two's play.

"The ball has spun but it hasn't been every single ball. Look, India want to win the Test match and they want to play on wickets that suit them, so we've got to find a way to beat them in their own condition.” Harmer, however, said SA are optimistic despite the collapse of batters on both sides.

“I wouldn't say I'm frustrated because there's still a lot of cricket to be played in this game and I still have the belief that we can put our best foot forward and fight to a total.

"I think if there's one thing this team has shown, it's that they can fight when their backs are to the wall. So we'll try our best to find a way tomorrow." Bowling nonstop from the Club House End, Harmer stuck to fuller length for a tactical switch on these conditions.

It proved decisive as he knocked over Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Dhruv Jurel in an unbroken spell from the Club House End.

“It was pretty evident that you needed to be fuller rather than shorter on that wicket,” he said, calling the track “inconsistent” but not unplayable.

Harmer also felt batting required clarity and courage.

“It sounds so cliched and simple, but if you put the bad balls away -- if a bowler misses -- it puts the pressure back onto the bowler. But it’s just finding ways to do that because the ball is turning inconsistently.” With only one 100-plus fourth-innings chase ever completed at Eden, South Africa are banking on stretching their advantage.

“I think there was a stat put up today that there's only been one total of over 100 chased in the fourth innings here, so we need to obviously try and get as many as we can and get past 100. If we can get to 150 that would be incredible, but it's obviously quite difficult at the moment, difficult to score runs.” He said skipper Temba Bavuma, who survived through tough spells, had shown the blueprint" for survival with his unbeaten 29 from 78 ball at close -- the last recognised batter left.

“Temba showed today with his application. I think the tempo to his innings was very, very good, so he's probably given us a bit of a blueprint of how we need to go about our business.” Asked why 15 wickets fall in a single day, Harmer said: "I think it's very easy to pass judgment sitting from the outside.

"When you walk into that cauldron -- the pressure, the ball turning, not turning, Indian boys know how to bowl in these conditions, they've done it for years and years, so it's about settling your nerves, accepting the pressure and trying to find a way to get through the first 20 balls.” PTI TAP ATK