India’s crushing 408-run defeat to South Africa in the second Test at Guwahati has prompted sharp criticism from former cricketers, with ex-fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad leading the calls for a significant rethink. The loss completed a 2–0 series whitewash and underlined how badly India’s Test plans have unravelled in recent months.
Prasad was blunt on social media, labelling India’s current obsession with all-rounders a “brain-fade” — especially worrying when those all-rounders are not always used effectively. His point cut to the heart of a broader selection debate: a constantly shuffled XI, frequent changes in the batting order and a lack of role clarity have left many players uncertain and the team short of the experience it sorely needs in red-ball cricket.
South Africa, by contrast, was clinical across departments. Their bowlers extracted extra bounce and used it to devastating effect, while batters like Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen produced match-defining contributions. India’s middle order repeatedly capitulated, turning promising positions into collapses that cost the hosts dearly.
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Stand-in captain Rishabh Pant acknowledged the scale of the failure but urged perspective. “It’s a little disappointing. As a team we need to get better. We need to give credit to the opposition,” Pant said after the game, stressing that learning and unity must follow such a painful series. He highlighted that the team must sharpen its mindset and execution if it wants to compete with top sides in Tests.
Need to play specialists and players need to be picked on the basis of Ranji, Duleep Trophy in domestic cricket. Can pick in 50 overs based on IPL performance, but for Test cricket, Ranji and Duleep trophy have to be the barometer.
Yash Rathod, Shubham Sharma, Baba Indrajith ,…— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) November 26, 2025
The big question now is structural: how should selectors balance youth with experience? Kicking off a rebuild is one thing; doing it while sacrificing clarity of role and continuity is another. Prasad, and many others, argue India need fewer experiments and more consistent, format-specific planning — especially at No. 3 and across the top five, where the retirements and absences of senior stalwarts have left huge gaps.
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This whitewash is a stark reminder that home dominance is not guaranteed. India must use the coming months to stabilise selections, define roles, and give players a fair run to settle. If not, more painful outcomes could follow — and the clamour for deeper change will only grow louder.
