Friends, when you insult someone, it often comes back to you sooner or later. Something similar now seems to be happening with Gautam Gambhir. The phase he is going through right now is anything but “Gambhir” (serious) — or perhaps too serious.
Losing overseas Test matches was one thing, but now India is losing Tests at home under his leadership. In the second Test as well, Gambhir’s Indian team stands right at the edge of defeat, and this looming loss is likely to haunt him for a long time.
Guwahati Test: A Day the Pitch Should Have Broken — But Didn’t
On Day 3 of the Guwahati Test, the pitch should have begun breaking down — but it didn’t. Instead, India’s batting did.
Ravi Shastri was the first to point it out. India got bowled out just past 201, and by stumps, they were already staring at a deficit of over 300 runs. Naturally, serious questions have begun to emerge.
A Shocking Batting Collapse
At 65/0, India appeared to be off to a controlled start. A foundation was being built. But what followed wasn’t an implosion — it was complete demolition.
- From 65/0 to 122/7
- A brief partnership
- And finally all-out for 201
On a batting-friendly surface, this collapse was baffling. Ravi Shastri stated clearly that the pitch wasn’t the problem — it was purely a batting failure. And he wasn’t wrong.
Selection Chaos: No Thought Process, No Structure
Shastri questioned the selection strategy outright:
- “I don’t understand the thought process.”
- Even after the series, he says, the selection logic still makes no sense.
Four spinners in Kolkata — but one bowled only one over.
What kind of team planning is this?
Shastri criticized the lack of clarity:
- Are you playing specialist batters?
- Or random experimentation?
Washington Sundar’s Position Shuffle
- Last match: batted at No. 3
- This match: pushed to No. 8
Shastri noted: Sundar is not a No. 8 batter — he is far better. The batting order has become a game of musical chairs with no stability, no reasoning, no structure.
No. 3 — The Broken Spine of India
Rahul Dravid was once a rock at No. 3.
Pujara was the shield at No. 3.
But after them?
It seems the trial room has been opened:
- Karun Nair at No. 3 in England
- Sai Sudarshan at No. 3 in Indore
- Sundar at No. 3 in Kolkata
- Again Sudarshan at No. 3 in Guwahati
And the results?
Confusion. Collapse. Chaos.
Anil Kumble echoed the same: the batting structure is upside down. How can results be expected?
This Isn’t T20 — Test Cricket Needs Stability
Gambhir urgently needs to settle the batting order. No. 3 is the backbone, and India’s spine currently looks jelly-like.
The deliveries weren’t unplayable either — it was India’s own undoing.
Soft Dismissals and Poor Discipline
A breakdown of India’s errors:
- Jaiswal: casual dismissal
- Rahul: soft touch
- Sudarshan: again struggling against spin
- Pant: a mindless shot
- Jurel: pressure meltdown
- Jadeja: brain fade
- Sundar & Kuldeep: forced dependence with no plan
This isn’t planning — this is prayer-based batting.
South Africa’s Lower Order Taught India a Lesson
On the same pitch:
- South Africa’s lower order scored 200+ runs
- India’s top order lost half the side for 60
This isn’t batting — it’s negligence.
Shastri’s most dangerous line was:
“When they look back at this series, some selections… they’ll still be trying to figure out the thought process.”
The Gambhir Era: Instability Already Visible
Already the team looks destabilized:
- Four spinners
- Sundar at No. 3, then No. 8
- Sudarshan dropped despite being in the XI earlier
- Karun Nair undergoing trials
- Jurel undergoing trials
- Pant suddenly made captain
Nobody understands what’s going on.
Ironically, Gambhir once commented about Ravi Shastri’s coaching era — but Shastri’s team held the No. 1 rank for 4–5 years. That wasn’t a small achievement.
India Is Not “India A” — This is Test Cricket
Test cricket isn’t an experimentation camp. When selection confuses players, their confidence drops to zero.
This pitch didn’t deserve a 201 all-out. South Africa showed patience, discipline, and clarity — the very things India lacked.
Even Kuldeep Yadav fought hard, facing 134 balls.
Meanwhile, India seems drowned in:
- Overthinking
- Over-experimentation
- Over-aggression
The Road Ahead Looks Grim
Based on the collapse in Guwahati and the situation ahead, it doesn’t look like India can save this match. There is no visible intent.
These are fundamental Test cricket mistakes that have never been corrected:
- Confused batting order
- Confused selection
- Confused roles
And confused teams produce confused results.
Ravi Shastri didn’t just comment — he held up a mirror to the team.
What India Needs Now
India urgently needs:
- Stability
- Structure
- Clarity
Without this, the chaos that is unfolding will become unstoppable.
