‘India A can beat South Africa’: Cheteshwar Pujara attacks Gautam Gambhir after Kolkata Test loss
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Former Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who was once a part of India's golden era of Test cricket, was furious after the loss of the home team in the first Test against South Africa.
India faced another crushing defeat in red-ball cricket under Gautam Gambhir's short reign of one year with the Indian National Cricket Team. The Indian head coach joined the side last year, and since then, India have lost a home Test series to New Zealand, drawn a Test series in England, and now started the South Africa home series with a tragic loss.
They were also snubbed from the race for the WTC finals after a crushing 3-1 defeat at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the hands of the mighty Aussies. The only two wins under Gambhir's reign have been against minnows like Bangladesh and the West Indies, and that too at home.
Cheteshwar Pujara disapproves of the 'transition' theory for major goof-ups in home Tests
India have not only lost the first Test against South Africa but has also been left humiliated for having failed to chase down a modest target of 124. The Indian bowlers undoubtedly did a fair job with the ball, but failed miserably with the willow.
Speaking of the immense talent India possesses, former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara mentioned that 'the team undergoing transition' cannot be an acceptable excuse for losing such a game, that too on the home turf.
"I am not ready to accept that transition would be the reason behind the Indian team losing on their home soil. Had they lost matches in Australia and England, it would have been acceptable since we are in a transition phase," said Pujara.
"But the talent this team possesses. You can pick the first-class record of any of these players, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar; they all have such impressive figures, despite which we failed to win a match at home," he added.
Pujara's sharp jibe at Indian management for poor strategies and pitch preparation
After highlighting that the transition or a revamp within the team is not the only concern, Cheteshwar Pujara went on to take a jibe at the strategies and pitch management ideas of the Indian team.
He clearly stated that had it been a better pitch, the probability of India's win would have been better. This also seems hypothetical, yet it is the truth that Indian bowlers would anyway have the upper hand on subcontinent tracks, but pitches like what was witnessed at the Eden Gardens often bring the opposition bowlers into play.
"You need to check on what type of tracks you will have a better opportunity to win. Your percentage reduces to an all-time low on such wickets. The opposition comes into play as an equal contender. So, you'd better play on a good wicket, because India has so many talented players that even India A can defeat this South African team on a better wicket," Pujara concluded.
"India losing a test match at home is not acceptable." #CheteshwarPujara says India’s rare home loss has left him upset. 😬
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 16, 2025
Will #TeamIndia make it 1-1 in the 2nd Test against South Africa? Drop your comments below. ⬇🤔#INDvSA | 2nd Test starts 👉 SAT, NOV 22, 8 AM pic.twitter.com/HrzZYxqfnV
India will advance to Guwahati in search of a series-levelling win
India lost the first game at Kolkata and is behind in the home Test series. They will move to Guwahati tomorrow or the day after, possibly after Shubman Gill is discharged from the hospital. The other scenario might be that the Indian skipper is ruled out of the next Test.
Under that scenario, India might be led by Rishabh Pant at Guwahati. The Guwahati Test holds immense significance from India's point of view, since that would not only help them avoid a clean sweep in the home series but also elevate their position in the WTC points table.
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India National Cricket Team South Africa National Cricket Team India vs South Africa South Africa vs India Cheteshwar Pujara Gautam Gambhir Shubman Gill
