India faced yet another crushing defeat in red-ball cricket under Gautam Gambhir’s short one-year reign with the Indian national cricket team. The Indian head coach joined the squad last year and since then India have lost a home Test series to New Zealand, drawn in England and now started the home series in South Africa with a tragic loss.
They were also ruled out of the race for the WTC final after a crushing 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the hands of the mighty Aussies. The only two wins under Gambhir’s reign were against minnows like Bangladesh and West Indies, and that too on home soil.
Cheteshwar Pujara slams the ‘transition’ theory due to major flaws in home tests
India not only lost the first Test against South Africa but were also humiliated after failing to chase down a modest target of 124. No doubt, the Indian bowlers did a good job with the ball but failed miserably with the willow.
Speaking about the immense talent that India possesses, former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara said that ‘the team undergoing transition’ cannot be an acceptable excuse for losing such a match, even if it is on home ground.
“I am not ready to accept that the transition would be the reason for the Indian team losing on home soil. If they had lost matches in Australia and England, that would have been acceptable as we are in a transition phase,” Pujara said.
“But the talent that this team possesses. You can pick the first-class record of all these players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar; they all have such impressive numbers despite us failing to win a match at home,” he added.
Pujara’s sharp criticism of Indian management for poor strategies and pitch preparation
After emphasizing that the transition or a renewal within the team is not the only concern, Cheteshwar Pujara went on to take a dig at the Indian team’s strategies and pitch management ideas.
He clearly stated that if it had been a better pitch, India’s chances of victory would have been higher. This also seems hypothetical, but the truth is that Indian bowlers would have the upper hand on tracks in the subcontinent anyway, but pitches like those seen at the Eden Gardens often bring the opposition bowlers into play.
“You have to check on which type of track you have a better chance of winning. Your percentage drops to an all-time low on such wickets. The opponent comes into the game as an equal competitor. So, it is better to play on a good wicket because India has so many talented players that even India A can beat this South African team on a better wicket,” Pujara concluded.
“India losing a Test match at home is not acceptable.” #CheteshwarPujara says India’s rare home loss has left him upset. 😬
Shall #TeamIndia make it 1-1 in the 2nd Test against South Africa? Post your comments below. ⬇🤔#INDvSA | 2nd test starts 👉 SATURDAY NOV 22, 8:00 am pic.twitter.com/HrzZYxqfnV
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 16, 2025
India move on to Guwahati looking for a series win
India lost the first match in Kolkata and are trailing in the home Test series. They will move to Guwahati tomorrow or the day after, possibly after Shubman Gill is discharged from hospital. The other scenario could be that the Indian skipper is ruled out of the next Test.
In that scenario, India could be led by Rishabh Pant in Guwahati. The Guwahati Test holds immense significance from India’s point of view as it would not only help them avoid a clean sweep in the home series but also increase their position on the WTC points table.
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