‘Ridiculous Approach!’ Ravi Shastri Slams Gautam Gambhir’s Tactics As India Suffer Heavy Collapse vs South Africa In Guwahati

India’s batting difficulties cropped up again during the second Test match played at Guwahati, where the host team suffered a spectacular top order fall that put them in a very difficult position due to a large gap already created. The top order stumble came on the back of a very dominant first innings performance by South Africa, which completely put India under early pressure.

Ravi Shastri Slams Gautam Gambhir’s Tactics As India Suffer Heavy Collapse vs South Africa In Guwahati

In the aftermath of the debacle, Shastri as a prominent commentator and former coach openly criticized Gambhir’s decisions regarding team preparation and strategy. He expressed his disappointment with what he termed as unclear approach, saying ‘this doesn’t make sense’ when referring to the selection, batting order and execution of plans by the Indian camp. Shastri’s comments are set against a backdrop of a growing concern over India’s performance in tough conditions, particularly when they have to cope with fast and bouncy pitches or ones with variable surfaces. He pointed a finger at the team management, with Gambhir being the figurehead, for not predicting the conditions and rather reacting in a very slow manner.

Ravi Shastri On India vs South Africa

To Shastri, the decision making related to batting combinations, acclimatisation and the game plan seemed to be disconnected, a point made even stronger by the swift loss of wickets and lack of partnerships among the batters. He questioned if the team had assimilated the lessons learned from previous tours while pointing to the urgent need for proper preparation under foreign style conditions even when playing at home venues like Guwahati.

India vs South Africa Test Series

Shastri’s critique, while negative, is not without positive implications for India, at least in the long term. His harsh criticism of Gambhir is an indication that the issue is not only with the players’ performance but also with the overall environment surrounding them, selection, planning, mindset, and adaptation. The fall of the Indian team in Guwahati has, besides the World Test Championship position and prestige, intensified the demand for a complete review of India’s approach to Test cricket in different conditions. Shastri’s severe judgment acts as a warning, if the changes are not done fast, the team will again be in a weak position in the next difficult match up.

Also Read: What Happens If India Lose The Test Series To South Africa?