The Indian team, true to its reputation, performed poorly in the Kolkata Test against South Africa, suffering a crushing defeat. The Indian batsmen performed poorly in both innings at Eden Gardens, with not a single batsman able to score a half-century.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes this result was due to a lack of experience in domestic cricket. In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar pointed out that the selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, should prioritise players who know how to perform on the spinner-friendly Eden Gardens pitch.
Gavaskar wrote, "The defeat against South Africa will hopefully open the eyes of those who focus on the highest run-scorers in domestic cricket. Run-scorers in domestic cricket know where the pitch will spin and when the ball will stay low." International players are so busy playing abroad that they don't get to practice playing on home pitches and hence struggle.
Gavaskar's important advice
Gavaskar's comments came after batsmen Sarfaraz Khan and Karun Nair, who have consistently performed well in domestic cricket, were overlooked. Neither batsmen were selected for the series against West Indies and now South Africa.
Gavaskar believes that the players selected for the series against South Africa lack the experience and patience to perform on challenging home pitches. He urged the BCCI selection committee to adopt a different approach.
Gavaskar explained
Regarding the demands of the format, the Little Master said, "Test batting requires patience. The more important thing is to come to the dressing room with your ego. It doesn't matter if you get beaten or hit on your pads." You can't just try to hit the ball out of the ground to show who's boss. The only boss here is the one who stays calm and accepts that the bowler will beat you at this level. So wait for the ball to come.
A strong message to Gambhir
Sunil Gavaskar also issued a strong message to the Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir that he should move on from part-time all-rounders. The former captain wrote, "India needs to understand the difference between Test and limited-overs all-rounders. A Test all-rounder is someone who makes it into the playing XI as a batsman or bowler."
Gavaskar further said, "Test cricket doesn't need a player who can contribute a few overs and a few runs. Test cricket requires a specialist batsman who scores runs and a bowler who takes wickets. Bowling a few overs and short innings may be a temporary solution, but they won't yield any results."
Gavaskar issued a warning.
Sunil Gavaskar concluded his speech with a warning, calling for an understanding of the requirements of different formats. Gavaskar wrote, "After this South Africa series, India will not play Test cricket at home for more than a year."
He further wrote, "It is important to understand the difference between Test cricket and limited-overs cricket. It is essential to understand the requirements of the different formats. If this is not done, India will not be able to make it to the World Test Championship final."
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