Former India coach Ravi Shastri did not hold back after India’s dismal batting collapse on Day 3 of the Guwahati Test against South Africa, labelling the performance “very ordinary” on a surface he felt offered no real demons. Shastri’s blunt assessment echoed the verdict of other experts — including former South African great Shaun Pollock — who called several dismissals soft and avoidable rather than the result of unplayable bowling.
India’s slide began with a series of needless errors. KL Rahul lunged at a Keshav Maharaj delivery, only for the ball to pop off the splice and find the slips. Yashasvi Jaiswal, after a fluent fifty, was trapped by a delivery that appeared to stop on him and check-punched to short third man.
Recalled youngster Sai Sudharsan failed to capitalise on a start, guiding a harmless Simon Harmer delivery to mid-wicket, while Dhruv Jurel misread a wide Marco Jansen length and dragged it to mid-on. Ravi Shastri’s frustration intensified at Rishabh Pant’s dismissal.
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The stand-in captain charged down the track in an attempt at an old-school slog, feathered an edge to the keeper, and then wasted a review despite clear spike evidence — a decision Pollock and many viewers found baffling. Such reckless intent when stability was required underlined Shastri’s point about poor application and shot selection.
By lunch India were wobbling at 174 for 7, a scoreboard that reflected more caution than control. Only Jaiswal (58 off 97) and Washington Sundar offered notable resistance early on, but the procession continued as the day wore on. Marco Jansen was relentless, finishing with 4 for 43, while Simon Harmer and others kept the pressure alive. Fielding contributions from the Proteas, including a sharp catch by Aiden Markram, added to India’s woes.
A stubborn lower-order effort — a 52-run, seventh-wicket partnership between Washington and Kuldeep Yadav — delayed the inevitable slide, but it could not stem the tide. Shastri’s diagnosis was stark: these were soft dismissals, avoidable mistakes that cost India dearly. “You have to put your hands up and say that’s very ordinary batting,” he insisted, stressing that technical errors and temperament issues, not pitch demons, were at fault.
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Former India opener Abhinav Mukund backed the sentiment, warning that India now face serious questions about their red-ball direction and have time to recalibrate before the next home Test season. For a side that aspires to consistency at the highest level, Day 3 in Guwahati will be remembered as a warning — one that demands urgent reflection on technique, temperament and shot selection.
