Ravi Shastri Slams India’s ‘Ordinary’ Batting After Guwahati Test Collapse vs South Africa

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri delivered a sharp critique of India’s batting performance after a dramatic collapse on Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati. Shastri said the team’s display was “very ordinary,” especially on a pitch that offered no significant challenges to batters.

His comments came after Shaun Pollock also noted that several Indian dismissals were “soft,” highlighting that many wickets fell to avoidable mistakes rather than exceptional bowling.

India folded to 142/7 in response to South Africa’s imposing 489, exposing the team’s ongoing struggle with consistency and decision-making in Test cricket.

Preventable Errors Trigger India’s Collapse

The slide began with KL Rahul pushing at a Keshav Maharaj delivery with hard hands, resulting in a simple catch. Yashasvi Jaiswal, after a well-made 58, chipped the ball straight to short third man as it stopped on the surface.

Sai Sudharsan pulled a harmless Simon Harmer delivery to midwicket, while Dhruv Jurel repeated a mistake from the first Test, dragging a wide ball from Marco Jansen to mid-on.

Rishabh Pant’s dismissal drew the most criticism—charging down for a slog against a ball angled across him, edging it, and then reviewing despite a clear spike on UltraEdge.

South Africa Maintain Control

India’s innings continued to unravel against disciplined bowling. Marco Jansen delivered a superb spell, finishing with 4/43, while Harmer provided crucial breakthroughs.

Only Jaiswal and Washington Sundar showed resistance. Sundar, unbeaten alongside Kuldeep Yadav, helped India avoid an even steeper collapse with a steady 52-run stand.

Nitish Reddy gloved a Jansen bouncer to gully, while Ravindra Jadeja inside-edged a short delivery onto his body, gifting another soft dismissal.

Experts Call for Red-Ball Reassessment

Former opener Abhinav Mukund echoed Shastri’s concerns, saying this performance raises major questions about India’s long-term Test planning.

“India don’t play a home Test next year, so there is a long period to reassess. This performance will hurt,” Mukund noted.

With India facing the risk of a home-series whitewash, analysts believe the team must urgently address issues in technique, temperament, and tactical clarity.