New Zealand thrashed us in our own backyard not long ago, yet we repeat the same errors and lose to South Africa. This shows poor understanding of the abilities of our current players and that’s unacceptable for a head coach and batting coach
India batters Yashasvi Jaiswal (left), Rishabh Pant (second from left) and KL Rahul (extreme right) walk off after their respective dismissals against South Africa in Kolkata on Sunday. Photos: PTI, Getty Images; Composite imaging by Ganesh Pawar
Honestly, I just don’t get it. Our boys have grown up playing mostly shorter formats on flat pitches. That makes you complacent, both mentally and skill-wise. So, it’s no surprise they struggle when the ball swings in England or bounces in Australia. But now, they’re struggling even on turning tracks at home — pitches they should be ruling. Losing to South Africa’s two spinners while chasing only 120 on the third day is beyond shocking. And the irony? Those spinners practically learned their art from Indian coaches.
To me, the moment batsmen see close-in fielders, the pressure gets to them. They’re not used to that intensity anymore because T20 cricket doesn’t challenge your defence the same way. Add to that, the fact that many players hardly play domestic cricket now, and you lose the toughness that only those difficult pitches teach.
I remember how the greats prepared. Before the 1990 England tour, Sachin Tendulkar called me to the RCF ground because the pitch had grass and bounce. I brought seven or eight pacers. He batted for two hours every single day. That’s hunger. That’s preparation. Why can’t today’s players show even half that attitude?
And are we not learning from past mistakes? New Zealand thrashed us in our own backyard not long ago. Yet we repeat the same errors. It clearly shows a poor understanding of our current players’ abilities. For a head coach and batting coach, that’s unacceptable. Being a coach myself, I feel any coach, who has been around for years, should know his team’s strengths, weaknesses, and mindset inside out. We still don’t know who is ready to step into the shoes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who, I feel, were moved out too quickly. Youngsters should be groomed around seniors, not at the cost of them.
Four spinners, a big error
Then came the biggest blunder — playing four spinners when the opposition had only two. It showed complete confusion about who the main attacking spinner actually was. And ironically, pacers from both sides took the crucial wickets.
Even the batting order showed a lack of game understanding. Dhruv Jurel, picked for his form, was sent at No. 7. If we were truly going horses for courses, players like Karun Nair or Sarfaraz Khan, who know these tricky tracks inside out, should have been considered. Sai Sudharsan, groomed as replacement for the greats in Test cricket, was left out to fit a fourth spinner. Someone like Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav could have made way.
Washington Sundar impressed me. Batting at No. 3 was a good move. He should have been the third spinner too, but he bowled just one over. I remember Washington at 18, during my NCA days. I pushed him to bat at No. 3 in a NCA tournament and he scored three hundreds in four games. I had told him then, “One day, you’ll bat No. 3 for India in Test cricket” because he had technique, temperament, and, most importantly, hunger. In Kolkata, he learned quickly by watching Temba Bavuma’s gritty defence and KL Rahul’s innings. He trusted his technique — something most others failed to do. Except of course, Ravindra Jadeja, who once again pulled the team back with both bat and ball.
India’s overall strategy was weak. On a pitch like that, one end needs to be tied down by a defensive bowler, and the other must attack in short, sharp bursts — Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja. That’s how you build pressure.
About our support staff — well, Morne Morkel can’t teach Indian spinners anything new. And the less said about the batting coach, the better. The BCCI must take responsibility for appointing support staff who seem more interested in keeping their positions safe than actually contributing.
To Gautam Gambhir’s credit, he accepted responsibility for the turner instead of blaming the pitch — politically correct, maybe not fully accurate. CAB President Sourav Ganguly acted quickly to shield the pitch from criticism and also highlighted Mohammed Shami’s case. And I fully agree. Shami deserves a proper farewell, and he has proved his fitness through domestic cricket.
Full marks to Bavuma
Finally, full marks to Bavuma. His batting was a masterclass in grit and patience. South Africa’s off-spinner Simon Harmer was brilliant too — clever, subtle, always one step ahead. The way he trapped Pant was textbook: shift the line to off stump, draw him across, then bowl the slower, tempting ball on middle-leg. Pant pushed at it, and the catch was easy.
Sometimes the answers are simple: Preparation. Patience. Hunger. Learning from mistakes. Sadly, that’s exactly what’s missing right now. India was on top of the cricket world, but we’re letting the reins slip.
The author was part of India’s 1983 ODI World Cup-winning team.
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