India haven’t been impressive in Test cricket for a long time, losing to New Zealand and South Africa at home. Since the retirement of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin from red-ball cricket, the team management and the national selectors have highlighted the transition phase. However, former India player Sunil Gavaskar is not in favor of the remarks made by the decision-makers, urging them to stop hiding behind the transition phase.

Speaking to JioHotstar after India’s win over Afghanistan in the one-off Test at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, Gavaskar questioned the narrative. The comments are different from what head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill have been saying as India enter the crucial phase of their ongoing WTC campaign, with matches lined up against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Australia.

India have won just four out of nine Tests so far and are sixth in the standings. The Indian National Cricket Team lost 0-3 against the Kiwis while the Proteas secured a 2-0 victory, which ended the sub-continent team’s dominance at home.

Gavaskar feels the generational shift word is being wrongly used. Under Gill’s captaincy, India managed to draw the away Test series against England 2-2, but the team lost the momentum to South Africa.

“It is time to move on from the belief that we are in a transition phase and instead focus on performances in Test cricket,” Gavaskar said.

“Retirements, change of the coaching staff, and evolution, but performance matters in the end, impact every team. The batting is a bigger concern than bowling for the Indian team,” he added.

The little master highlighted the collapse of the batting order against New Zealand and South Africa.

“The bowlers have done their job, but the batters need to show fight against big teams and challenging conditions.

“The batters are getting into T20 mode when they face difficulties, leading to poor decisions. You can’t play Test cricket like other formats, and the focus should be on batting, building innings and partnerships, and living in the present.

Meanwhile, Gambhir once again defended the batters after India’s performance against the Afghans, once again talking about the young squad and the ongoing transition phase.

“In nine Tests, we did well against England and the West Indies. The transition started from those series, and if after nine Tests, you feel it is a long rope, I don’t agree.”

Gambhir urged the critics to look at a bigger picture of development, explaining that the form of the team is due to adding new players to the squad.

“We all saw the performance of the team in England and against the West Indies. The two-Test series against South Africa didn’t go well for us, but that is part and parcel of transition. Consistency remains a concern when you play with the young players. Most of them have been a part of fewer than 30 Tests, which is not a lot of experience in this format.”

India captain Shubman Gill gave a balanced answer when he was asked about the development phase. “If you bat first, try to put 350 runs on the board every time. We have bowlers who can take 20 wickets anywhere.”

Gill opined on the pressure of the batting group. “The batters are under more pressure when we talk about the transition, as they are not experienced. We are working on a formula that works for our batters in different conditions and situations.”

Gill, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar were among the runs in the Test against Afghanistan, while the likes of Manav Suthar, Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav bowled well. Prasidh Krishna also showed his class on a pitch that had something for the spinners.