Ashwin Delivers Brutal Assessment of India's Batting Collapse
Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has launched a scathing critique of the national team's batting performance following their humiliating home series whitewash against South Africa. The Proteas completed their dominance with a massive 408-run victory in the second Test at Guwahati's ACA Stadium on November 26, 2025, exposing what Ashwin called "pathetic" batting against spin bowling.
This marks India's second home whitewash in recent memory, following their defeat against New Zealand back in 2024. Ashwin emphasized that the core issue lies not in the opposition's strength but in Indian batters' fundamental inability to handle spin and their lack of trust in basic defensive techniques.
"Shell-Shocked Pathetic Batting" - Ashwin's Blunt Verdict
During his popular YouTube show 'Ash ki Baat,' the veteran spinner didn't mince words. "It was absolutely shell-shocked pathetic batting," Ashwin stated, revealing he has been warning about this technical deficiency for 3-4 years. He highlighted the critical absence of sweep shots in Indian batters' arsenal compared to visiting teams.
"When we lost in the New Zealand series, you would find that the New Zealand batters defended the ball by sweeping. Their defence wasn't their defence. Rather, their sweep was their defence," Ashwin explained, contrasting the approaches. "If you give them two deliveries, they would defend once and try a sweep or a reverse sweep. And they practice and are very very good at it."
The Defence Dilemma and Stubbs' Example
Ashwin pointed to South Africa's Tristan Stubbs as a perfect example of batting resilience, despite technical imperfections. "Tristan Stubbs got out defending badly. But he played 400 balls in this Test series. Even if he had a bad defence, he was ready to back that," Ashwin noted, emphasizing how Stubbs' determination eventually yielded 94 runs.
The Indian batters, chasing over 500 runs on the final day, collapsed to just 140 runs in their second innings, losing wickets at regular intervals without posing any significant challenge. Ashwin questioned the fundamental defensive capabilities of the current lineup against quality spin.
"How many of our batters actually had good defence? If there's fault in your defence, you'll play shots," Ashwin analyzed, criticizing the tendency to justify aggressive shot-making as "that's his game" rather than addressing technical flaws.
Redefining Modern Batsmanship
Ashwin provided a clear definition of what constitutes quality batting in the modern era. "All great cricketers have created their game around a solid defence. What is good batsmanship? Good batsmanship is mixing intent with defence. What is intent? When you can positively defend."
His conclusion was damning for a nation traditionally known for producing world-class players of spin. "I am harping on this that it is not about an individual I am talking about the failure to address our defence against spin. We are now probably one of the poorest spin-playing nations in the world," Ashwin declared, signaling a dramatic shift in India's cricketing identity.
The comprehensive defeat raises serious questions about India's preparation and technical development ahead of future Test series, particularly with the World Test Championship points at stake against the current WTC holders South Africa.
