The emotions were completely different in the Indian and South African camps on Wednesday afternoon after the second Test match concluded in Guwahati. The Proteas were jubilant, having registered their first series win on Indian soil in 25 years. Temba Bavuma extended his unbeaten streak as South Africa’s Test captain, and his team jumped to the second position on the World Test Championship Points Table.
On the other hand, the Indians were numb with their shoulders down. They succumbed to a 408-run defeat – their biggest ever in terms of margin of runs, and also a second consecutive series loss to a team from the SENA nations.
The audience at the Barsapara cricket stadium in Guwahati was fuming as well. It was the first Test played at the venue, and the fans had to witness such a shambolic performance from the hosts. Agitated by the loss, the spectators booed the Indian head coach, chanting, ‘Gautam Gambhir Haye Haye’, in unison.
Much of the criticism surrounds Gambhir’s selection choices. Young players like Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Reddy looked underprepared for Test cricket. Sudharsan’s 14 from 139 balls was symbolic of India’s struggles. He was beaten repeatedly and seemed on the verge of dismissal throughout his stay. Gambhir’s preference for multi-skilled cricketers in the traditional format has left the side confused about roles and weak in core technical areas.
Only Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 53, showed the temperament expected at this level. The rest of the lineup fell to poor defensive technique, poor reading of drift and almost no back-foot play.
This defeat feels heavier than the scorecard suggests. India looked vulnerable at home, something that once seemed unthinkable. The chants outside the stadium reflected the anger of a fanbase that is rapidly losing patience with the Gambhir era.
