Kumble calls for action as words fall flat in Guwahati
As India teeter on the brink of another crushing home Test series loss — this time to South Africa — voices from within the cricketing fraternity have begun to grow louder. With the team folding for just 201 in Guwahati and left chasing a daunting 549-run target, the shadow of defeat became more than just a looming threat.
India’s struggles have increasingly highlighted a widening gap between ambition and execution. The team has spoken often about redefining its Test identity, playing with intent, and reclaiming its once‑dominant home aura. Yet with another collapse unfolding in Guwahati, those aspirations have begun to feel distant, turning past declarations into uncomfortable reminders of what has not materialised.
Before play began on Day 4, broadcasters aired a statement Gautam Gambhir had made ahead of India’s 2024 series against New Zealand, when he declared, “We want to be that team which can score 400 in a day and bat for two days to salvage a draw.” That vision was soon juxtaposed with the stark reality of India’s collapse, prompting former India coach and captain Anil Kumble, speaking on commentary, to deliver a blunt reminder: “You just have to back up those words. You have an opportunity here against the best side in world cricket today. They (South Africa) have won the trophy (World Test Championship). Can’t have a better chance of making a match and saying, ‘Okay, this is our character. We are here to play and we can win. If we don’t win at least we fight it out and ensure we don’t lose.’ Yeah, those words are fine but you need it back it up (with performance) on the field today.”
Selection turmoil and lack of consistency
Team selection has become the storm center of India’s Test cricket debate. With a string of changes, experimental combinations, and young debuts, critics argue that the side is drifting without a settled core. Questions are being raised not only about the tactics but the very principles driving these decisions under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership.
Among the sharpest critics of India’s current trajectory has been Kris Srikkanth. The former captain and selector, in a video on his YouTube channel, tore into the repeated reshuffling under Gambhir’s coaching regime. “Every alternate match, someone is making a debut,” he said, questioning the merit behind what Gambhir has described as “trial and error.”
“They can say trial and error. Gautam Gambhir can say whatever he wants. I don’t care. I have been a former captain and a former chairman of selectors. I know what I’m talking about. I am not talking through my hat. You need consistency.”
Srikkanth’s frustration wasn’t limited to the broader strategic approach. He zeroed in on individual selections, reserving some of his strongest criticism for what he believes are unearned opportunities.
Srikkanth also specifically called out the inclusion of Nitish Reddy. “Who calls Nitish Reddy an all-rounder? Can anyone see his bowling and say he is an all-rounder? He hit a hundred in MCG, but what has he done after that? One swallow doesn’t make a summer, as they say. If Nitish Reddy is an all-rounder, then I am a great all-rounder. Does he have movement, pace? He is not some deadly batsman either. Let’s call a spade a spade. How is Nitish in the ODI team also? What has he done? Is Nitish a replacement for Hardik Pandya?! Why not Axar Patel?”
Ravi Shastri baffled by tactical decisions
India’s tactical approach has come under heavy fire from experts and former players alike. With frequent batting order tweaks and confusing role assignments, the side appears unsettled — and nowhere was this more evident than in their handling of all-rounder Washington Sundar. Critics argue that such inconsistency has only amplified India’s woes across both Tests.
Ravi Shastri, who coached India from 2017 to 2021, expressed his frustration during commentary for Star Sports, especially with the shuffling of Washington Sundar’s batting position. “Absolutely not. It makes no sense. I can’t figure out the reasoning. When they review this series, some of these selections will leave them puzzled.”
Pointing to decisions made in both Tests, Shastri continued, “In Kolkata, you picked four spinners and one of them bowled only a single over, when you could’ve easily picked a specialist batter. And here, after making Washington bat at three in the last Test, you could’ve slotted him at four today since you already had your number three. He’s not a number eight. He’s much better than that.”
Suresh Raina defends Gambhir but calls for deeper introspection
While much of the spotlight remained on Gambhir’s role and selections, Suresh Raina offered a more nuanced perspective. He acknowledged the heat the head coach is facing but argued that India’s red-ball struggles stem from deeper, systemic issues — from declining spin play to inadequate domestic grounding, and from high-pressure scheduling to poor middle-order cohesion.
Suresh Raina, speaking to NDTV’s Rica Roy at the jersey launch of the Indian Softball Cricket League, struck a more balanced tone. While defending Gambhir, he pointed to broader structural and technical issues. “The difference between South Africa and India is that we are not playing spin well. That’s what we used to do. The USP of Indian batters was the ability to play spin well.”
Reflecting on India’s recurring middle-order struggles, he added, “Absolutely, I think (India are missing a glue in the middle order). They still have a lot of quality players… but they haven’t played much cricket after Australia. We lost against New Zealand also.”
Raina also touched upon the wider trends reshaping Test cricket: “The cricket this team is playing is in a different manner now… we saw in the Ashes also, the Test match finished in two and a half days.”
He acknowledged that Gambhir bore responsibility but insisted strategy must be session-based: “The coach (Gautam Gambhir) can’t say ‘I’m doing better.’ He has a lot of responsibility. He has to strategise for the team to work session by session.”
At the same event, Raina reiterated his support for Gambhir, stating, “Gauti bhaiya (Gautam Gambhir) has worked really hard and he is not at all at fault. The players have to work really hard and play well. Under him we have been doing great in the white-ball format where we just won the ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup in Dubai earlier this year.”
Emphasizing accountability, he noted, “The players have to score, the coach can only guide, advise and give support to the players.”
Raina urged fairness in evaluating Gambhir’s tenure: “If they (the players) are facing any issues, they must be communicating to the coach that this is the issue. If the players do well then the coach will be also applauded. But if the team is not doing well, it should not be that the coach should be sacked from his post.”
Offering a personal endorsement, he said, “I have played with Gautam bhaiya, he loves Indian cricket team, he loves cricket, I have played and won the World Cup with him. So, he has done really well for the country and it is the players’ responsibility to do well.”
Raina also emphasized domestic performance as the key benchmark: “They should play domestic cricket regularly and do well there, if they do well that will automatically reflect in their performances at the international level.”
On India’s demanding schedule, he added, “Also the planning of the series can be better because you have to quickly switch formats from white ball and suddenly you are playing red-ball cricket again so the players I believe have less time in hand.”
He concluded with a message of intent: “The players should also improve their application in the middle, I hope this all is getting noticed…” and looked ahead with optimism: “Ro-Ko (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) will be back, yes. They did well in Australia and will surely strengthen the ODI squad against South Africa. Both of them are great ambassadors for world and Indian Cricket.”
“When they’ll be in the side then the atmosphere will be different, Rishabh Pant is also back after a while so it will be fun to watch the ODI series.”
Ashwin’s quiet alarm: Body language speaks louder than words
Amid the intense noise surrounding selection and performance, Ravichandran Ashwin offered a silent but telling signal. Posting on X during Day 4, the senior spinner shared a photo of Rishabh Pant and wrote, “I really hope we can bounce back while batting in the 2nd innings, but the indications on the field with respect to body language 💔.
I really hope we can bounce back while batting in the 2nd innings, but the indications on the field with respect to body language 💔. #indvsa pic.twitter.com/Iui9dSsQTD
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) November 25, 2025
Ashwin’s post didn’t carry the sharpness of a critique, but its undertone was unmistakable. At a time when senior players were expected to rally the team, his observation cut deeper than many direct assessments. Without naming names or amplifying emotion, he hinted at a lack of energy, intent, and resilience — attributes India once wore proudly in home Tests.
Demands of accountability mount
As pressure mounts on the team, the coaches, and the system, the message from India’s cricketing greats is clear: accountability, consistency, and clarity are no longer optional — they are overdue.
