“The only real mistake is the one we don’t learn from.”
This is a famous quote by Henry Ford and at the moment it seems that it is one that the management of the Indian cricket team has not heard of. The management under Gautam Gambhir was expected to bring a fresh approach to the Test team and hopes were high indeed. At the end of the day, results speak for everyone in sports and they don’t seem to be going in India’s favour.
In the Kolkata Test, India were beaten by South Africa by 30 runs, their fourth loss at home in their last six. It was the pitch at Eden Gardens that grabbed all the headlines and was criticized by fans and pundits for creating an imbalance in the game. While the first blame was directed at the Eden Gardens curator and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). However, CAB president Sourav Ganguly said that the Indian team had specifically asked for such a wicket, which Gambhir later confirmed in his press conference.
However, the Indian coach’s remarks and reasoning did not go down well with many former cricketers who questioned why India needed such tracks to win Tests. Kris Srikkanth was unhappy after the match and asked what such wickets were for.
“What I don’t understand is Gambhir saying there are no demons and you should show better technique and all that. How can you play on that type of wicket? So many batsmen have tried to defend and got away with slips or lbw. Let’s face it, this South Africa is not a strong batting line-up or a strong side. Then why do you want to keep blaming these players and bad techniques?” said Srikkanth.
Harbhajan Singh called it the death of Test cricket and asked what was the purpose of such pitches with players who don’t have the right platform to improve.
However, this is not the first time that the Indian team management has shot itself in the foot with rank-and-file turners coming to haunt India. At times it was specific matches and in some cases the entire series was at stake as the away teams made the most of the conditions and troubled the Indian batsmen.
HAUNTING RANK TURNER
India vs England, 2nd Test, Mumbai 2012
India came into the contest on the back of a big win in Ahmedabad and pundits felt that this would be another series that the hosts were concocting. But the story changed once they arrived at the Wankhede Stadium, where a rank turner was in place.
India posted a good score of 327 thanks to Cheteshwar Pujara’s hundred. England fought back with 186 from Kevin Pietersen and a hundred from Alastair Cook. Trailing by 86, India looked to go on and get a good total but fell apart in front of Monty Panesar who took six wickets to restrict the hosts to just 142.
England quickly chased down the target and won, which became the turning point in the series. The visitors then won the Kolkata Test and secured a 2-1 series win with a draw in Nagpur.
India vs Australia 1st Test Pune 2017
India entered the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy as favorites to win the series. But everyone was in for a shock in Pune when the Aussies ran through the Indian team and Steve O’Keefe was the main destroyer with the ball.
On a track that offered a twist, O’Keefe took 12 wickets in both innings while Steve Smith scored a memorable hundred. India were left chasing a mammoth target of 441 runs but were bowled out for 107 with Nathan Lyon taking four wickets alongside O’Keefe.
Unlike England’s series, India were able to bounce back and eventually win the series 2-1, but the Pune Test gave them a big scare.
India vs Australia 3rd Test Indore 2023
A rank turner was used in Indore as India looked to continue the series against the Aussies and stamp their authority. But what happened shocked everyone when Matthew Kuhnemann went through the Indian batting order.
Kuhnemann took five wickets during the first innings as India were bowled out for 109. Australia made 197 in their first innings to take a vital lead that would prove crucial in the end. Pujara scored a brave fifty but it was not enough in the end as India set Australia a target of 76 to chase them down. Lyon picked up his second best eight for 64 to turn the game in the visitors’ favour.
Australia eventually won the match by nine wickets.
India vs New Zealand Series 2024 2nd and 3rd Tests
Taking to a track that favored New Zealand’s pacers after losing in Bengaluru, India opted to have a couple of spinners to give the visitors a scare in Pune and Mumbai. But it was India who got a scare in the end with Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel going through them in both matches.
New Zealand bat first for 259 runs as Washington Sundar takes 7 wickets. But India’s first innings crumbled before Santner got figures of seven for 53. New Zealand scored 255 in the second innings and gave India a tough target to chase.
Despite Jaiswal’s 77, India were bundled out for 245 at the end as Santner took six wickets in the second innings to give the visitors a 113-run win.
The Mumbai Test proved why Ajaz Patel loves Wankhede a lot as he came to haunt India once again. Batting first, the visitors made 235 and in reply India scored 263 to take a slender lead.
Jadeja and Ashwin rocked New Zealand with the former taking five wickets as India needed 147 runs to win. But by then the Wankhede pitch had become a minefield for the batsmen as Ajaz picked up six wickets to compliment a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
While Rishabh Pant’s 64 kept India in the hunt, the tail folded quickly and New Zealand completed the series whitewash.
– The end
Published on:
November 18, 2025
