Sunil Gavaskar explains India’s ‘temperament’ problem in Test cricket

Indian batters lacked character and struggled heavily against the New Zealand spinners, resulting in a 3-0 humiliating series defeat at home. The senior batters - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored 91 and 93 runs respectively while the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan looked in good form in patches but consistency remained a major issue. It’s a huge concern ahead of the five-match Australia series, which India need to win 4-0 to confirm their place in the World Test Championship finale.

Explaining the mindset of the Indian batters, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar stated that there was a problem with the temperament, which led to the series defeat. He believes that the players have a mindset that if they play a couple of dot deliveries, they tend to play an aerial shot, which is not required in red-ball cricket. He analysed that due to this mentality of taking chances, India are losing quick wickets.

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“Definitely more, more, more a problem of temperament because the temperament now is that and that is again a white ball legacy. Is there two or three dot balls? We've got to go and try and impose ourselves on the on the bowlers. So go for a big shot, go for an aerial shot if it comes off great. But where the ball is doing something, then these chances are a lot less,” Gavaskar told India Today.

“So while the technique is there, its temperament is thinking that I can do this by because the boundaries are short. The bats are so good, guys are all strong as well, so we can get it into the stands,” he added.

It could be a tour which could decide a lot of futures: Gavaskar

Questions have already been raised about the future of senior players in Test cricket. BCCI is likely to take a call about Rohit, Kohli, Ashwin and Jadeja’s future after the Test series against Australia and Gavaskar feels the same. He believes that the tour will decide the future of a lot of cricketers, especially given their age.

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“I think it could be a tour which could decide a lot of futures. And I'm hoping that that question, you know, solved itself in Australia because they are, at at an age and at a stage in their careers, where there will be a second ring of which we will be looking to get an opportunity,” said Gavaskar.