Veteran all-rounder Kapil Dev has criticized the Indian team after the 0-2 defeat in the two-match Test series against South Africa at home. Dev said India’s repeated struggles against spin were not surprising, as many of the current players did not play on a variety of pitches or against domestic bowlers.
India suffered its second home Test series defeat in 13 months. Notably, this is the first time that they have lost a Test series in two consecutive years on home soil since 1984. India’s batting struggled badly against the South African attack and repeatedly failed to counter off-spinner Simon Harmer, who was named Player of the Series.
If you don’t play domestic cricket… – Kapil Dev criticizes Team India
Speaking to Sportstar, Kapil Dev pointed out that many modern players rarely take part in domestic cricket on challenging surfaces. He said that previous generations had developed their footwork and technique by regularly playing on different pitches and facing quality bowlers.
“It was because of his individual style, footwork and the fact that he played good domestic cricket on different pitches,” Kapil Dev told Sportstar.
“I just want to know how many of today’s top players are playing domestic cricket. That’s the most important thing. If you don’t play domestic cricket and don’t face good bowlers, you will struggle,” he said.
This is not good for the five-day playing situation – Kapil Dev
The 1983 World Cup-winning captain was also not impressed with the pitch used for the first Test in Kolkata, where the match was over in less than three days. He said that such surfaces are becoming very common and are hurting Test cricket.
“The pitches are very, very important. There are no pitches where the game is over in two and a half days. You lose the toss and lose the game. What is the point of a pitch where no team can cross the 200 mark? It is not good for a five-day game situation,” Dev said.
In the first Test, India collapsed while chasing a modest target of 124 runs and lost by 30 runs. The second match in Guwahati turned out to be even worse, as India suffered a massive 408-run defeat – their biggest defeat in terms of runs in a Test match at home.
Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman knew how to stay on the wicket – Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev said that modern players are struggling in Test cricket because they rarely face difficult, bowler-friendly pitches. He said that batsmen like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman knew how to survive long spells in the middle, but today’s players lack the mentality that is required for Test cricket.
“We are more busy with T20s and ODIs, which means batsmen rarely face pitches that suit bowlers. On surfaces that favor spin and seam a lot, you need a different set of skills to be patient and carry on,” Kapil said.
“Once you get ready to play on those pitches, your mindset affects how you deal with them. You don’t have batsmen like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who knew how to stay on the wicket. Batting in Tests means staying in the middle,” he said.
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