Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin absolutely lambasted the India batters after their failure to perform in the South Africa series, leading to the hosts getting whitewashed by the WTC holders in their own backyard. This was India’s second whitewash at home after the New Zealand series back in 2024 and Ashwin said that it was due to the batters’ inability to play spin and not trusting their defence.
“It was absolutely shell-shocked pathetic batting. I have been saying this for the past 3-4 years that the players we have don’t attempt the sweep shot. When we lost in the New Zealand series, you would find that the New Zealand batters defended the ball by sweeping. Their degfence wasn’t their defence. Rather, their sweep was their defence. If you give them two deliveries, they would defend once and try a sweep or a reverse sweep. And they practice and are very very good at it,” Ashwin said on Ash ki Baat show on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin added that Kohli or Rohit could have helped groom younger players, and that he himself could have contributed to developing India’s next line of spinners. The larger problem, he noted, is India’s long-standing struggle with knowledge transfer. “I always spoke about KT, knowledge transfer. What are our plans for it? It has never been our strength. We simply don’t practise it. Where is the habit?” he said on his channel.
To illustrate what India lacks, Ashwin pointed to Australia, highlighting how Nathan Lyon supported Todd Murphy and how Corey Rocchiccioli is now emerging in that lineage. He said that such continuity is still missing in India’s system and needs to be cultivated.
With India not scheduled to play another Test until August 2026, Ashwin’s reflections arrive at a critical moment. His call for clearer pathways, better communication and a stronger culture of knowledge transfer underscores a broader concern that recent results have amplified. As selectors and team management confront a period of recalibration, Ashwin’s words serve as a reminder that rebuilding is not only about finding new players, but also about preserving the wisdom of those who came before. Whether Indian cricket can convert this crisis into meaningful long-term course correction will depend on how seriously these structural concerns are addressed.
