India stare at too many questions after heaviest Test defeat by runs

The boot is surely on the other foot now. The last day of the Guwahati Test resembled a scenario from a home Test even a few years ago, when the likes of Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja would chip away with an attacking field to enmesh opponents in a web of spin. But this time, it was the hosts who were at the receiving end in front of an empty stadium, with the result a foregone conclusion.

The cricketing world, of course, watched in disbelief as the 'big brothers' succumbed to a 2-0 series loss, but even more damning was the fact that South Africa inflicted on India its heaviest ever defeat in terms of runs (408) either at home or abroad.

If the unexpected rout at the hands of the Kiwis last year scuppered India's hopes of making the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) for the last cycle, the latest humiliation has pulled it down to fifth position in the rankings, to make a shot at the final truly difficult.

‘’If we can bat the whole of last day and keep it to a draw, it will be like a win for us,’’ senior allrounder Jadeja had said after play on Tuesday. As it turned out, he was the only one to walk the talk, showing enormous patience to score only the second fifty from the Indian side in either innings after Yashasvi Jaiswal.

A draw could have certainly fetched some brownie points for the hosts, but the Indian second innings was virtually a replica of the first — with the turn and bounce of a fifth-day wicket making their lives miserable. 

This is, however, not to take away any credit from the Proteas, who looked a different team from their star-studded predecessors after the WTC triumph. The only ‘superstar’ in this team, in coach Shukri Conrad’s words, was Kagiso Rabada, who sat out both matches due to injury, but there were other stars who emerged. Off-spinner Simon Harmer, who is enjoying a second coming at 36 years, will not forget this tour in a hurry as he ended up with 17 wickets in two Tests to emerge as Player of the Series.

‘’The biggest thing is the team’s success, my award is more like the cherry on the top. I would have been happy even if I'd played a small part,’’ said Harmer, who finished with figures of 23-6-37-6 in the second innings to end up with nine wickets in the second Test. The likes of Harmer, Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthuswamy, the ever-reliable Aiden Markram and of course captain Temba Bavuma all put up their hands when it mattered the most, and each one of them knew what their role was.

Lauding Harmer on Tuesday, Conrad had said: ‘’A few months ago, when Simon reached out to me saying he’d love to play for South Africa again, I didn’t know who was happier, him or me. I certainly knew that I wanted him in the squad as soon as possible as we knew we were coming to the subcontinent. He is someone who goes about his work quietly. It’s tough being a spinner in South Africa because you don’t get conditions that favour them.’’

The aftermath of this embarrassing series defeat will be harsh on the Indian team management (read Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar), who seemed wanting in more than one department — the middle order looks thin after the departure of senior players, while the spin attack has been failing to make an impact even on home turf. While it’s true that the new-look Indian top order held up well in batting-friendly conditions in England to come back with a 2-2 draw a few months ago, their biggest shortcoming now seems to be what was once their forte — the art of playing spin.

Fortunately for India, their next Test series is more than eight months away in Sri Lanka, and it’s a no-brainer that the islanders will prepare rank turners ready to catch the favourites by surprise. A crestfallen Gambhir spoke about prioritising Test cricket as the way forward and called for a ''collective effort'', though one doesn't know whether the BCCI will be ready to walk the talk.

The Indian Test team, by all accounts, is work in progress, but with the current fetish for white-ball cricket, chances are all this chatter will be buried if the hosts come good in the upcoming T20 World Cup at home. Then, of course, comes the razmatazz of IPL!  

India’s biggest Test defeats (by runs)

• 408 runs vs South Africa, 2025

• 342 runs vs Australia, 2004

• 341 runs vs Pakistan, 2006

• 337 runs vs Australia, 2007

• 333 runs vs Australia, 2017

• 329 runs vs South Africa, 1996