Style without substance

The Indian cricket team’s humiliating 2-0 test series loss to South Africa was the shameful 408-run defeat in the second Test at Guwahati. The margin was not only humiliating but historic-India’s heaviest loss in Test cricket, surpassing the 342-run drubbing by Australia in 2004. Coming on the heels of a 30-run defeat in Kolkata, the whitewash has exposed structural cracks that can no longer be ignored. The collapse marks the first time since 1959 that India have lost five Tests at home within seven matches. Back then, Australia and the West Indies dominated a struggling Indian side. To see history repeat itself more than six decades later is staggering, especially for a team that had built an aura of invincibility at home over the past decade. The fallout is immediate- India’s World Test Championship campaign has taken a severe hit, slipping to fifth place with a points percentage of just 48.18.The numbers tell a grim story- five defeats in seven home Tests over 13 months, 10 losses in 19 overall, and two home whitewashes in succession, against New Zealand and now South Africa. This is not a blip; it is a pattern. Under head coach Gautam Gambhir, India have shuffled combinations endlessly, leaned on bits-and-pieces all-rounders, and failed to establish settled roles. The result is muddled planning, fractured confidence, and a batting lineup that looks perpetually unsettled. The chopping and changing have been relentless. Captains themselves have been rotated like jerseys-Shubman Gill led in Kolkata, only to be replaced by Rishabh Pant in Guwahati after injury. Neither could inspire a turnaround. While tactical decisions on the field-bowling changes, field placements, handling pressure-have drawn criticism, the larger accountability lies with the coach. Gambhir’s selection policies, unclear batting roles, and questionable team balance have left India rudderless. Analysts argue that captaincy flaws are secondary; the deeper malaise stems from inconsistent strategies and poor preparation. The instability has been most evident in the batting order. Frequent changes have robbed players of rhythm and confidence, preventing them from building innings or applying sustained pressure. India’s collapses against South Africa were not isolated failures but symptoms of a team unsure of its identity. Beyond coaching and captaincy, a larger cultural issue looms: the prioritization of the Indian Premier League over Test cricket. The IPL, while celebrated as the pinnacle of T20 entertainment, has inadvertently diluted the hunger for red-ball success. Lucrative contracts and the glamour of six-hitting have fostered a mindset ill-suited for the patience and resilience required in Tests. Players like Sai Sudharsan are preferred over proven domestic performers such as Baba Indrajith or Cheteshwar Pujara, who built their reputations on grinding long innings. The result is predictable-batting collapses on turning tracks and an erosion of Test temperament. Former internationals have voiced concern. Herschelle Gibbs has suggested shortening the IPL to restore balance, while Brad Hogg has noted that financial satisfaction from franchise cricket reduces the drive for grueling Test battles. Even BCCI reviews acknowledge the structural imbalance, with IPL contracts potentially undermining national commitment. India’s current plight is not about one series or one captain. It is about a system that has lost sight of the fundamentals of Test cricket. Unless stability in selection, clarity in roles, and renewed prioritization of red-ball cricket are restored, the team risks sliding into a prolonged era of mediocrity-an outcome unthinkable for a side once feared at home.