Team India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has shared his views on the team’s struggle in the recent Test series in South Africa, where they suffered a 0-2 defeat at home. The right-handed batsman said that the Indian cricket team did not get enough time to prepare for Test cricket before the start of the series.
India are now focusing on white-ball cricket as the 2026 T20 World Cup is just a few weeks away. The Men in Blue will play a three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home starting on January 11. Seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return to action, with the opening match being played in Vadodara.
India’s home Test struggles put Gautam Gambhir under pressure
India have struggled in Test cricket at home in recent years. They were defeated 0-2 by New Zealand in 2024 and then suffered a 0-2 defeat at home against South Africa in November 2025. These results have put head coach Gautam Gambhir under immense pressure.
Notably, no other Indian coach has faced a whitewash in two home Test matches. India also failed to reach the World Test Championship final after losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 to Australia.
The Shubman Gill-led side drew the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2 against England and then won the home Test series against West Indies 2-0. However, consecutive defeats against South Africa at home ended that momentum.
India are currently placed sixth in the WTC 2025-27 points table, indicating a weak start to the new cycle. His scoring percentage is 48.15 and he will be looking to improve on that when the Test season resumes at the end of the year.
Earlier we did not have enough time… -Shubhman Gill
Shubman Gill said preparation plays an important role, especially when players move from white-ball cricket to Test matches. He said that India did not get enough time to prepare before the recent Test series against South Africa and West Indies.
Gill said, “In the last two Test series, we did not have enough time to prepare… If we had won against South Africa, it would not have made much difference and preparation is a big thing for me.”
“We didn’t have enough time before the South Africa and West Indies series. It’s good to have some time to prepare for the transition from white ball to red ball,” he said.
Shubman Gill urges BCCI to organize longer training camps before Test series
According to recent reports, Shubman Gill has asked BCCI to arrange a two-week training camp before the Test series. He wants the team to spend more time preparing for red-ball cricket.
India often struggle in Test preparation due to busy schedules and a lack of regular red-ball specialists. Without adequate practice time, teams move quickly from white-ball cricket to Tests.
India begin their two-match home Test series against the West Indies just three days after finishing the 2025 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The players did not get enough time to adjust to the red ball format.
India began their Test series against South Africa just five days after the white-ball tour of Australia during October and November. Meanwhile, South Africa came into the series after playing Tests in Pakistan, which helped them adapt better to similar conditions.
Also read: Shubman Gill saved Rishabh Pant from being dropped from the ODI team by stopping Ishan Kishan’s return! Shocking information came to light
