NEW DELHI, India — Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has offered a candid assessment of India’s ongoing struggles in Test cricket, saying the team is still in the “labor pains before new growth emerges” as it works to rebuild and stabilize its red-ball lineup.
Speaking on JioStar, Chopra said that although India’s draw in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar trophy series in England earlier this year provided encouragement, it masked deeper issues brought on by the ongoing transition.
“Transition is always painful, though the England series temporarily hid this harsh reality due to unusual English pitch conditions. While drawing that series felt encouraging, we must acknowledge we’re still in the labor pains before new growth emerges,” Chopra explained.
The former opener pointed to instability in key positions, especially No. 3, where India has experimented with a series of players including Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Washington Sundar. Chopra questioned the clarity in roles, particularly for Sundar, who bowled just a single over in the recent Test.
“Dhruv Jurel shows promise but has played only five Tests. Role clarity remains a concern. Is Sundar primarily a batter or bowler when he only delivered one over? We faced similar uncertainty with Nitesh Kumar Reddy recently,” he said. “Rather than pretending we’re a finished product, we must accept this transition continues and will involve challenging phases before achieving stability.”
India’s troubles were on full display on Sunday in Kolkata, where they lost the first Test against South Africa by 30 runs. The match ended in the second session of Day 3, prompting strong criticism of the pitch and preparation, though head coach Gautam Gambhir insisted the surface was exactly as requested.
Chopra expressed concern over India’s pitch strategy, warning that ultra-spin-friendly tracks may be counterproductive.
“Pitch preparation isn’t an exact science, but we still need to ask whether extreme turning tracks are the best way for us to win. When a Test ends in two and a half days, it shows something isn’t balanced,” he said. “With four spinners compared to their two, why bring the contest down to their level?”
The pitch was heavily criticized for being difficult to bat on, but South Africa captain Temba Bavuma managed a match-changing half-century. Chopra emphasized that Bavuma’s performance was a statistical outlier.
“Exceptions define the norm, and Temba Bavuma’s fifty stands as the exception among 38 wickets that fell in this match. If batting were straightforward, multiple players would have scored heavily, not just one batter.”
India will now head to Guwahati for the second and final Test, set to begin on November 22 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, where they will attempt to level the series and address questions raised by the loss. (Source: IANS)
