Another Test series. Another home defeat. And yet, all the post-match chatter is circling the same safe zones: team combinations, workload management, or pitch conditions. But no one seems willing to confront the one consistent, glaring problem - India’s repeated batting collapses.
The most recent episode unfolded in Guwahati. India were 65 for no loss in a high-stakes series decider. In familiar home conditions, they should’ve cruised past 300. Instead, they folded for 201 all out - a collapse so sharp, it flipped the match on its head.
Just a week earlier in Kolkata, India were chasing a modest 124 against South Africa. At 64/4, the situation looked tense but manageable. What followed was stunning - 93 all out, and a match lost that should have been wrapped up. That defeat handed South Africa the series lead, which added pressure heading into Guwahati. The team never recovered.
But these aren’t isolated incidents. Earlier this year, against New Zealand at home, India registered their lowest-ever Test innings total on home soil - 46 all out. The top order fell apart at 33/4 and never recovered. In the very next Test, India crumbled from 56/2 to 156 all out, squandering another opportunity and losing the series.
It’s a pattern now - one that’s eating into India’s dominance brick by brick.
Blame it on limited-overs muscle memory or poor shot selection on turning tracks, but the application needed in red-ball cricket is missing. Batters are either too defensive or recklessly aggressive, with very few finding the balance needed to grind out tough sessions.
This isn’t about the talent pool. The names in the XI remain world-class. But temperament, patience, and adaptability - hallmarks of successful Test sides - have been noticeably absent in pressure moments.
India’s home record was once considered untouchable. Spin-friendly pitches and familiar conditions gave them a fortress-like edge. But that edge is fading - not because the opposition has suddenly cracked the code, but because India are failing to hold their ground.
Until the batting unit regains its resilience and rediscover its ability to weather tough spells, the fortress will keep showing cracks.
And eventually, someone will break right through.
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