E-Paper
Sign in
India’s Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin conundrum back in focus as Gambhir-Agarkar face heat: 'Lost our diamonds...'
The transition phase after Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin has been far from smooth, with the younger players struggling to make an impact.
Team India is under heavy fire after the humiliating 2-0 Test series defeat to South Africa. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has been pulled up by critics, with many questioning his red-ball approach, especially at home. This is India’s second whitewash on home soil in the past year, first by New Zealand last year and now against South Africa. India were outplayed across departments — the bowlers couldn’t take advantage of the spin-friendly surfaces, while the batters looked unsure and repeatedly faltered against the turn.
The transition phase after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin has been far from smooth, with the younger players struggling to make an impact and unable to step into the massive roles left behind.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif launched a scathing critique of India’s Test setup, accusing the management of muddled planning and poor communication, especially in the way senior pillars like Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin were handled — decisions he believes have dragged the team into its current turmoil.
"Our eyes didn’t open after the 3-0 defeat to New Zealand. The blame was put on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Sarfaraz Khan was scoring 150 on a seaming track but was dropped. The preparation was anyway not there. In Guwahati, Washington Sundar came to bat after Nitish Kumar Reddy. So, we are committing mistakes continuously. From No.3, Sundar went to No.8. He shouldn’t have batted at No.3 in the first place. They removed the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami. If there was communication and transparency, they would have stopped Virat Kohli from retiring. Even Ashwin’s retirement could’ve been stopped by saying that he will be needed in India. We lost our diamonds in search of youth," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Under Gambhir, India has shifted towards bolstering batting depth, prioritising the inclusion of additional all-rounders at the expense of specialist players.
“There is no No.3 like Pujara even now”
Kaif didn’t hold back as he questioned India’s muddled Test plans, highlighting how the team has struggled to replace Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 3 and how proven match-winners like Ashwin and Jadeja once carried home Tests without the need for overloaded bowling attacks — a stark contrast to the selection missteps he sees today.
"There is no No.3 like Pujara even now. They are not giving proper chances even to the new players. Who plays six bowlers in India? Ashwin and Jadeja were often enough to win a Test match in India. Nitish Kumar Reddy played and he hardly bowled," he added.
The former batter further pointed out India’s overcomplicated approach in Tests, contrasting it with Australia’s simple yet effective strategy in 2004, when they relied on just four main bowlers — McGrath, Lee, Gillespie, and Warne — alongside seven specialist batters, while today India persists with six bowlers and keeps repeating mistakes.
"When Australia came to India in 2004, there were only four main bowlers for them – McGrath, Lee, Gillespie and Warne. Along with that seven specialist batters. Here India are playing six bowlers and making mistakes consistently," he added.
