Former India star batter Mohammed Kaif has indirectly claimed that the current team management led by Gautam Gambhir has created an environment where insecurity over playing spots is thwarting the progress of the Test batters, particularly in home conditions. Kaif's remarks followed India's humiliating defeat against South Africa in the first Test at the Eden Gardens, where they wilted under pressure to chase down a lowly total of 123 and were bundled out for 93 runs.
For the match, India opted for a bowling-heavy strategy, fielding four spinners, which included two all-rounders, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel. This decision necessitated moving away from a specialist batter, Sai Sudharsan, at the crucial number three position. Although Sundar delivered an impressive and resolute performance in his new slot, Kaif specifically called out the instability in the playing XI selections, highlighting that batters are being rotated far too often, preventing them from settling in and developing confidence.
Indian batters don’t have a feeling that someone is standing for them: Kaif
Further elaborating on his criticism of the lack of support, Kaif cited the example of Sarfaraz Khan, a promising player who has since been demoted from the national radar. Kaif made it clear that the continuous chopping and changing is detrimental to the Indian batting line-up in the longer run.
“Whichever players are playing, they don’t have a feeling that someone is standing for them. Koi backing nahi hai, sab darr ke khel rahe hain. (There is no backing; everyone is playing with fear.) Sab dar ke khel rahe hain, koi khul ke nahi khel raha (Everyone is playing in fear, nobody is playing with freedom)," Kaif said in his Youtube channel.
“If Sarfaraz Khan’s place is not confirmed after 100 scoring a hundred. Even after scoring 100, he’s not able to make a comeback. Sai Sudharsan scored 87. He doesn’t play the next Test match. I think there is a lot of confusion in this team,” he added.
Players ko apne pe belief kam ho gaya hai: Kaif
Kaif also claimed that the insecurity surrounding playing positions is amplified when the team management chooses to play matches on turning tracks. He believes that because their spots are under constant scrutiny, the batters are likely to experience further anxiety and uncertainty, potentially causing them to jitter more when faced with the difficult challenge of batting on highly spinning pitches.
“Players ko apne pe belief kam ho gaya hai, thoda insecurity bhi aa gyi hai (Players are not believing in themselves, there is insecurity as well). When there is insecurity and you come to play at turning tracks, you won’t be able to do well,” Kaif concluded.