India may have won the optics battle against South Africa in white-ball cricket, but Sanjay Manjrekar isn’t convinced that tells the full story. Far from it.
Reacting to India’s 0–2 Test series whitewash at home, the former India batter questioned the comfort drawn from ODI and T20I success, arguing that Test results remain the truest indicator of a nation’s cricketing health — and India’s numbers, he warned, don’t make for pleasant reading.
White-Ball Noise, Red-Ball Reality
India’s home series against South Africa offered contrast in extremes. The return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the ODIs, the energy of a young T20I side, and a series win in the shorter formats kept headlines buzzing.
But Manjrekar believes those moments risk masking deeper concerns.
“Test cricket may not be the most popular format today,” he wrote on X, “but its results linger.” His point was blunt: India may have won the ODI and T20 series, but the Test defeats still define the tour.
A Home Fortress No More?
What stung most wasn’t just defeat — it was how India lost. The batting collapse against South Africa’s spin-bowling of Simon Harmer and the relentless pressure applied by Marco Jansen exposed vulnerabilities rarely seen during India’s long home dominance.
For a generation raised on near-invincibility at home — under MS Dhoni and later Virat Kohli — this felt different. This was India being outplayed, not just outperformed.
And it wasn’t an isolated slip. Back-to-back home whitewashes, including the earlier loss to New Zealand, suggest a worrying pattern rather than a one-off stumble.
Manjrekar’s Core Argument
Sanjay Manjrekar didn’t mince words. While acknowledging that Test cricket no longer dominates public imagination, he stressed its long-term significance.
According to him, Test results expose structural and technical weaknesses that white-ball success can temporarily hide. If there’s a format where flaws linger, where excuses thin out, it’s Tests — especially at home.
That’s why, Manjrekar argued, addressing India’s red-ball issues must remain a priority, even as calendars overflow with T20 tournaments and global leagues.
Timing Makes the Warning Louder
India won’t play Test cricket for several months. A packed schedule of ODIs, T20Is, an ICC T20 World Cup, and the IPL ensures the spotlight stays firmly on the shortest formats.
That delay, Manjrekar’s comments suggest, risks pushing Test concerns further down the agenda — precisely when they need urgent attention.
The Table Doesn’t Lie
India currently sit sixth in the ICC World Test Championship standings, with a middling points percentage of 48.15. Australia and South Africa occupy the top two spots — a reminder of where India stand in the format that still defines cricketing excellence.
White-ball wins may soothe the surface. But as Manjrekar pointed out, Test cricket has a long memory.
And right now, it’s asking uncomfortable questions about Indian cricket’s direction — questions that can’t be answered with sixes alone.
