What has really happened to the Indian batters? For years, the narrative was simple: overseas conditions were the real test, while home Tests were India’s comfort zone, their unshakable fortress. Now, that story has been flipped on its head. Scoring runs abroad no longer looks impossible, but at home, Indian batters appear lost, tentative, and mentally brittle.
Take Shubman Gill out of this line-up and the reality becomes brutally clear: this batting order is fragile, jittery, and incapable of handling sustained quality bowling.
Failing to chase 124 in the 1st Test should have triggered alarm bells across the system. Instead, what followed on a decent batting track in Guwahati was even worse - a humiliating collapse that exposed not just technical flaws, but a complete absence of planning and clarity. This was not bad luck. This was self-inflicted damage.
The selection logic has been equally baffling. Karun Nair was pushed aside with the reasoning that Sai Sudharsan deserved opportunities. Fair argument. Except Sudharsan wasn’t even picked for the 1st Test. Instead, Washington Sundar was promoted to No.3, and to his credit, he emerged as India’s best batter in that match. Finally, a move that seemed to make sense.
So what did the think tank do next? They pushed that same player down to No.8 in the very next game. A man who showed composure and technique at the top was suddenly reduced to a lower-order stopgap. If that isn’t a sign of panic-driven management, what is?
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s case only deepens the confusion. Released from the squad, then abruptly recalled and slotted in ahead of Axar Patel. No consistency. No vision. Just reactionary decision-making that reeks of chaos.
And then there’s Dhruv Jurel. A player who walked in with form, momentum, and a growing reputation, yet in both Tests, he threw his wicket away with rash, ill-judged strokes. Two matches. Two reckless dismissals. When patience and temperament are demanded, India’s young batters are choosing impulsiveness and ego.
There was a time when teams touring India came prepared to endure, not dominate. Now, India itself looks like the visiting side - nervous starts, tentative footwork, and collapses that reek of fear. The application is missing. The discipline is gone. The hunger to grind sessions out of opposition attacks has vanished.
The most uncomfortable truth of all? India has lost the art of batting at home. Until this side rediscovers patience, clarity, and respect for conditions, until they return to the mindset of wearing down bowlers instead of chasing quick dominance, even familiar pitches will continue to expose a hollow, overconfident top order.
This isn’t a temporary dip. This is a cultural problem within the batting unit. And unless it’s confronted head-on, the fortress will remain in ruins.
Also Watch: Shubman Gill's fitness trouble deepens, could miss ODI series
