Former India Pacer Delivers Scathing Critique After Historic Home Defeat
Former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has launched a blistering attack on the Indian cricket team's strategy following their devastating 408-run defeat against South Africa in Guwahati. The loss sealed a 2-0 series whitewash for the visitors, marking one of India's most disappointing home performances in recent memory.
Prasad specifically targeted what he called India's "absolute brain-fade" obsession with all-rounders, particularly highlighting the questionable tactics of including multiple all-rounders but not utilizing their bowling capabilities. The criticism comes after India suffered their heaviest Test defeat by runs margin at the hands of the South African team.
Questionable Team Selection Under Scanner
In his social media post, Prasad expressed deep disappointment with India's approach to Test cricket. "Really disappointed by how India is going about in Test cricket," he wrote. "The all-rounder obsession is absolute brain-fade especially when you don't bowl them. Rank poor tactics, poor skills, poor body language and an unprecedented two series whitewash at home."
While Prasad didn't name specific players, the criticism appears directed at players like Nitish Kumar Reddy, who bowled only 10 overs combined across both innings in the Guwahati Test. Former India cricketer and selector Kris Srikkanth had also previously questioned Reddy's role in the team composition.
Call for Domestic Cricket Focus
The former pacer emphasized the need to return to selecting Test specialists based on performances in domestic first-class tournaments. "Need to play specialists and players need to be picked on the basis of Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy in domestic cricket," Prasad asserted.
He made a clear distinction between selection criteria for different formats, stating: "Can pick in 50 overs based on IPL performance, but for Test cricket, Ranji and Duleep trophy have to be the barometer."
Prasad highlighted several domestic performers who deserve opportunities, mentioning names like Yash Rathod, Shubham Sharma, Baba Indrajith, and Smaran Ravichandran - players who consistently score runs in domestic cricket but remain unknown to many fans due to their absence from IPL.
Growing Criticism of Team Management
Former India coach Anil Kumble joined the criticism, echoing similar concerns about the team's approach. "It's not just the loss but the way the result came about," Kumble commented. "It requires a different mindset when it comes to Test cricket. You can't have so many all-rounders, so many changes in batting order, so many changes in team itself."
Kumble emphasized the importance of team stability, noting that "every other game, guys come in, guys get dropped" and that this constant chopping and changing prevents players from settling into the Test match format.
The comprehensive defeat and subsequent criticism pose significant questions for coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management as India faces a nine-month gap before their next Test matches. The calls for a fundamental rethink in selection policy and team composition for the longest format of the game are growing louder from former cricketers and experts alike.
