Former India captain and iconic all-rounder Kapil Dev has come down heavily on Team India after their shocking performance in the recently concluded two-match Test series against South Africa. India was outplayed entirely in both fixtures, suffering two morale-shattering defeats at home. In the series opener, the hosts failed to chase a modest target of 124, falling short by 30 runs, while the second Test in Guwahati turned into a nightmare, with India losing by a record 408-run margin.

Throughout the series, India’s batters looked out of depth, especially against South African off-spinner Simon Harmer, who exposed their growing vulnerability against quality spin. Kapil Dev, who led India to the historic 1983 World Cup triumph, did not mince words when analysing India’s batting woes. One of his biggest concerns was the lack of domestic cricket exposure among India’s top-order batters.

“How many of today’s top players are actually playing domestic cricket? That’s the most crucial thing,” Kapil Dev told Sportstar. “If you don’t play domestic cricket and don’t face quality bowlers regularly, you are naturally going to struggle.”

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Kapil then shifted focus to another long-standing issue—India’s pitch standards. According to him, the current trend of low-scoring, two-day finishes is damaging the health of Test cricket.

“The pitches are extremely important. What’s the point of having surfaces where the match ends in two and a half days? You lose the toss and lose the whole game. If no team is crossing 200, the pitch isn’t good for the five-day format,” he stressed.

He further added that India’s obsession with T20Is and ODIs has left batters underprepared for bowler-friendly red-ball conditions.
Kapil pointed out that modern batters lack the old-school resilience displayed by legends like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who mastered the art of occupying the crease.

“Test batting is all about staying in the middle. To tackle spin, you need far better skills than what is needed in white-ball cricket,” he said. “If the pitch offers sharp turn or uneven bounce, only solid footwork and patience can help you survive.”

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Kapil believes the only long-term solution is for players to return to domestic cricket and refine their technique. “I was surprised India lost to New Zealand and South Africa at home,” Kapil admitted. “Players like Ravi Shastri, Jimmy Amarnath, and Sunil Gavaskar had the temperament to bat the whole day because they played a lot of domestic cricket. That foundation is missing today.”