The Indian team's performance in the two-Test series against South Africa was extremely disappointing. Crushing defeats by 30 runs in Kolkata and 408 runs in Guwahati exposed the poor performance of several key players.
IND vs SA Test Series 2025: The two-match Test series played between India and South Africa was nothing short of a nightmare for the Indian team. Crushing defeats by 30 runs in the Kolkata Test and 408 runs in the Guwahati Test raised serious questions about Team India's preparations and strategy. India appeared completely disjointed across all three departments—batting, bowling, and fielding.
In this shameful defeat, the highly disappointing performance of several senior and young players emerged as the biggest reason for the series loss. Let's find out about the players who completely flopped in the IND vs SA Test Series 2025.
1. Rishabh Pant
As captain and wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant carried the team's biggest responsibility, but he failed in both roles. In moments of pressure, he appeared to lose composure and failed to play a significant innings. He scored only 49 runs in four innings. His poor captaincy and hasty batting further compounded the team's difficulties.
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who entered the series in brilliant form, was expected to provide a quick start, but he appeared to struggle completely against the African pacers. His poor starts led to continuous early setbacks for India. He could only manage 83 runs in four innings and failed to play a single substantial innings.
3. KL Rahul
As an experienced batsman, KL Rahul was expected to provide stability to the team, but he completely crumbled under pressure. Technical weaknesses and poor shot selection were major reasons for his failure. Rahul scored only 68 runs in four innings, which is certainly not commensurate with the standard expected of a senior player.
4. Dhruv Jurel
Young batsman Dhruv Jurel had the opportunity to prove himself in the middle order, but he also squandered it. After a good start in the Kolkata Test, he got out playing an unnecessary shot. In the Guwahati Test, too, he couldn't withstand pressure. He scored only 29 runs in four innings, which exposes his lack of preparation.
5. Washington Sundar
As an all-rounder, Washington Sundar was responsible for maintaining the team's balance, but his performance was extremely disappointing. His spin bowling posed no challenge to the South African batsmen. Although he scored 124 runs with the bat, he could only take one wicket with the ball and consistently leaked runs.
6. Nitish Kumar Reddy
Nitish Reddy, selected as a fast-bowling all-rounder, also failed to make an impact in this series. He scored only 10 runs in two innings. In the Guwahati Test, he was given only 10 overs, in which he conceded 49 runs without taking any wickets. This clearly indicates that he proved ineffective in both batting and bowling.
