Overview:
He added that this narrative created pressure on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and played a role in their decision to retire from Test cricket despite wanting to continue.
Cheteshwar Pujara dismissed the idea that a “transition phase” caused India’s batting failure during the Eden Gardens Test, which ended in a 30-run defeat against South Africa. The issue was once again raised on Wednesday when former cricketer Manoj Tiwary reignited the debate, claiming that this narrative pressurised senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to step away from Test cricket even though both wanted to play.
In an interview with India Today, Tiwary said the “transition” narrative is unnecessary because Indian domestic cricket has plenty of ready talent. He added that this narrative created pressure on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and played a role in their decision to retire from Test cricket despite wanting to continue.
“This whole ‘transition phase’ talk, I don’t agree with it. India don’t require any transition. Maybe teams like New Zealand or Zimbabwe need that, but not us. Our domestic circuit is packed with talented players who are ready to play. This constant chatter about transition has only created unnecessary pressure, and because of it, senior players like Virat and Rohit, who genuinely wanted to continue playing Test cricket, bid adieu because of the environment being built around them,” he said.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket in May. They announced the decisions just ahead of India’s key tour of England, where Shubman Gill was given the task to lead the side.
Tiwary also aimed at Gautam Gambhir, who had blamed the batters for the loss against South Africa. He said that, given Gambhir’s own strength against spin, he should have given better instructions.
“You can’t criticise players’ technique after a defeat. A coach’s responsibility is to guide and improve, not to point fingers. If the batters lacked a strong defence, why wasn’t that addressed before the match? Gambhir was a skilled player of spin during his career, so he should focus on teaching that more. Right now, the results simply aren’t going India’s way.”
India will try to level the series in Guwahati after losing the first Test, aiming to stop South Africa from securing a second Test series win in India. The second contest is scheduled to start on November 22 at the Barsapara Stadium.