Updated On: 27 November, 2025 09:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Rohan Koli
mid-day highlights the reasons behind Gautam Gambhir’s Team India getting whitewashed by South Africa on home soil

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Sai Sudharsan
Team India’s selection during the series was inconsistent, lacking strategic clarity. The tendency to favour all-rounders over dedicated Test specialists has come under severe criticism. This led to an inconsistent batting order, weakening the quality and depth that specialists provide. Playing pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in Guwahati was a wrong move given he barely bowled in the second Test, delivering only 10 overs in the game and batted at No. 7 and No. 9, scoring 10 and 0, respectively.
The series also highlighted a lack of patience and application by India’s batters. In the second Test, on a pitch described as a “road” by Kuldeep Yadav, India were bundled out for 201 in reply to SA’s 489, largely due to poor shot selection possibly rising from an unwillingness to play a long innings. The wrist-spinner, batting at No. 9, showed how it’s done by surviving 134 balls in the first innings. India batters consistently failed to build big partnerships, losing wickets in quick clusters — from 95-1 to 122-7 — in the second Test. Similarly, the team collapsed from 109-2 to 189 all out in the first innings at Eden Gardens.