Angry. Devastated. Disappointed. Irritated. Exasperated.
These emotions barely scratch the surface of what Indian Test cricket fans felt after the crushing 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2025. This loss not only ended the team’s hopes of reclaiming the prestigious trophy but also dashed their chances of making it to the World Test Championship (WTC) final. January 5, 2025, is a date that will live in infamy for fans of Indian Test cricket.
But the cracks in India’s Test setup were visible long before this Australian debacle. A few months earlier, New Zealand handed India a humiliating 3-0 series loss at home—a staggering outcome for a team that had been the pride of the WTC circuit. Six months of inexplicable decisions, lackluster performances, and baffling strategies have left fans with a flood of questions. Here are the most pressing ones:
1. Does merit truly matter in team and support staff selection?
Indian cricket is no stranger to selection controversies, but the choices for the BGT 2025 squad—and the coaching staff—were particularly head-scratching. Questions arose about Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as head coach, and his penchant for roping in individuals from his IPL stints seemed arbitrary at best.
Is there a transparent, merit-based system for selecting players and support staff? Or does favoritism and personal bias overshadow performance and potential?
2. Will Virat Kohli ever be dropped for poor form?
Kohli’s reputation as one of India’s greatest cricketers is etched in history, but past laurels shouldn’t grant immunity to poor form. His Test performances have been in steady decline since 2020. Any other player with similar numbers would have been benched long ago.
Why does Kohli continue to be an automatic pick despite his slump? Shouldn’t accountability apply equally to all, regardless of stature?
3. Is Gautam Gambhir the right coach for this team?
India’s Test cricket team is undergoing a challenging transition, requiring a steady hand and an experienced mind. Gautam Gambhir’s tenure, however, has been marred by questionable tactics and underwhelming results: six losses in ten matches, including a clean sweep by New Zealand and the BGT embarrassment.
Did Gambhir’s appointment ignore the team’s needs for stability and experience? Was this a reckless gamble reminiscent of the Greg Chappell era?
4. What do the support staff actually do?
India’s batting faltered repeatedly in both the New Zealand series and BGT, while the bowling attack looked entirely reliant on Jasprit Bumrah. The roles of batting coach Abhishek Nayar, fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate, and bowling coach Morne Morkel have come under scrutiny.
What measures did they take to rectify glaring issues? How are they being held accountable for the team’s failure to adapt and improve?
5. Where has our pipeline of bowlers vanished?
India’s famed fast-bowling unit has dwindled alarmingly. By the end of BGT, it felt like Bumrah was a lone warrior, with the team forced to debut three pacers in the series.
What happened to the once-formidable pipeline of Indian pacers? Is the domestic structure failing to produce quality bowlers?
6. Have our batters forgotten the value of patience?
Test cricket demands grit and resilience—qualities that seemed glaringly absent in India’s batting lineup. With the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane no longer in the mix, the team lacked dependable anchors. Even seasoned players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma appeared incapable of weathering pressure.
Has the rise of T20 cricket eroded the batting discipline required for Tests?
7. Why do we keep misreading pitches?
India’s inability to read pitches correctly has been a recurring issue. During BGT, team selections often failed to align with the conditions, and the same mistakes were evident in the home series against New Zealand.
Why do we consistently fail to pick the right XI for the surface? Isn’t this a fundamental skill?
8. Are selectors held accountable for results?
Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee has faced criticism for a lack of vision and consistency. The BGT squad included several out-of-form players, IPL performers with no red-ball credentials, and individuals playing out of position.
Shouldn’t selectors face consequences for such glaring missteps?
9. Do we have clear guidelines for dropping players?
The ambiguity surrounding player exclusions fuels unnecessary drama. Rohit Sharma’s exclusion came late in the BGT series, and his media portrayal of the decision as a “sacrifice” for the team only added to the spectacle.
Why isn’t there a clear, performance-based policy for player retention or exclusion?
10. Is Rohit Sharma the right leader for the test team?
Rohit Sharma’s red-ball credentials and fitness have often been questioned. His captaincy decisions—team selection, bowling changes, and field placements—have left fans exasperated. The team under his leadership has lacked cohesion, with whispers of factionalism adding to the woes.
Isn’t it time to hand over the reins to someone like Jasprit Bumrah, whose leadership in tough situations has been commendable?
The Verdict: Searching for Answers
Indian Test cricket is at a critical juncture. The past six months have exposed glaring flaws in strategy, leadership, and execution. For fans, the frustration is overwhelming, but so is the hope for redemption.
Will the team rise from these ashes, or will these unanswered questions continue to haunt the once-dominant force in world cricket? Only time will tell.
If you enjoyed reading this piece, I’d be grateful if you could share it with your network. More readers mean more motivation and inspiration for a hobby writer like me to continue writing. Thank you!
If you have any thoughts or feedback, feel free to reach out to me at aashutosh[dot]chaudhari[at]gmail[dot]com—I promise to reply!
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