New Zealand thrashed us in our own backyard not long ago, yet we repeat the same errors and lose to South Africa. This shows poor understanding of the abilities of our current players and that’s unacceptable for a head coach and batting coach

India batters Yashasvi Jaiswal (left), Rishabh Pant (second from left) and KL Rahul (extreme right) walk off after their respective dismissals against South Africa in Kolkata on Sunday. Photos: PTI, Getty Images; Composite imaging by Ganesh Pawar

Honestly, I just don’t get it. Our boys have grown up playing mostly shorter formats on flat pitches. That makes you complacent, both mentally and skill-wise. So, it’s no surprise they struggle when the ball swings in England or bounces in Australia. But now, they’re struggling even on turning tracks at home — pitches they should be ruling. Losing to South Africa’s two spinners while chasing only 120 on the third day is beyond shocking. And the irony? Those spinners practically learned their art from Indian coaches.

To me, the moment batsmen see close-in fielders, the pressure gets to them. They’re not used to that intensity anymore because T20 cricket doesn’t challenge your defence the same way. Add to that, the fact that many players hardly play domestic cricket now, and you lose the toughness that only those difficult pitches teach.

I remember how the greats prepared. Before the 1990........

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