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Former India's star batter Mohammad Kaif feels Team India are just white-ball bullies and is lagging far behind in Tests. Mohammad Kaif's remarks came in the wake of India's flop show in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025. India ended up losing the five-match series against Australia 1-3 despite their triumphant campaign opener in Perth. India's dominance in Australia came to a screeching halt as Australia finally got their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy title after a gap of 10 years. India not just lost the BGT series but also missed out on qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 final.
Mohammad Kaif lashes out at India's Test team
Australia clinched the series with a six-wicket victory in the fifth and final Test to taste the glory. Notably, their last series win against India on home soil occurred in 2014-15, with a 2-0 victory in a four-match series. Since then, India had enjoyed a dominant streak, winning four consecutive series, including two away triumphs.
"On 23rd February India will earn a lot of praise by beating Pakistan (in Champions Trophy) and everyone will say we are a champion team in white-ball cricket. But if India want to win the World Test Championship then we will have to make a Test match team, will have to learn to play on seaming tracks," he said in a video posted on X.
"The truth is that we are just white-ball bullies. We are lagging too far behind. If we have to win WTC, then players will have to play domestic cricket on turning tracks, will have to practice on seaming tracks, otherwise we will not be able to win," he added.
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India kicked off the their Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign on a triumphant note in Perth where they bulldozed Australia by 295 runs. However Australia staged a sensational comeback as they levelled the series with a dominant win in the Adelaide pink-ball Test. The Brisbane Test ended in a draw. Subsequently, Australia secured victories in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test and the Sydney Pink Test, ultimately claiming the series.
Riding on their win in SCG Test Australia stormed into the WTC final where they will face South Africa.
Meanwhile, Kaif also said that the BGT fiasco is a wake up call for India. He also mentioned that India's head coach Gautam Gautam isn't the only one who is at fault but also the players who have been preferring rest over playing Ranji Trophy or domestic cricket.
"India lost 1-3, and I think this is a wake-up call, because now we have to pay our attention towards Test cricket. It's not just Gautam Gambhir who is at fault. All players get the chance to play Ranji Trophy, but it gets tiresome for the players and they prefer rest over playing Ranji Trophy. They don't play Ranji Trophy, they don't play practice matches then how will they become better players? It's tough to play on turning tracks in India and tougher to play on seaming tracks in Australia and South Africa. So if you don't practice well, WTC will keep eluding you. What has happened, it has happened for the good and now Team India needs to work hard in Test cricket," Kaif concluded.
India's next assignment will be when they tour to England for a five-match Test series which is scheduled to be played from June 20 to August 4. Before that the Men in Blue will lock horns with England for a white-ball series featuring 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs starting from January 22.
