India’s Day 3 collapse in the Guwahati Test wasn’t just bad technique or a tough pitch; it showed a bigger problem: they weren’t aware during the game and couldn’t handle the pressure. It wasn’t the pitch that beat them, but their own minds. Every wicket lost, every mistake made, and every wrong move showed a team losing mentally more than in the actual game.
In the 82nd over of India’s innings, you could see exactly what they were up against. Kuldeep Yadav tapped a ball to deep backward point and turned down an easy single to keep Jasprit Bumrah from having to bat. It was kind of sad seeing India’s No. 9 having to protect the No. 10, especially since the plan for the day was to put up a big score.
Kuldeep’s challenging 19 runs off 134 balls were respectable, sure, but it also showed just how badly India’s top and middle-order batters had messed things up. Because they couldn’t handle the pressure earlier, the lower-order batters were forced to go into this weird, super-defensive mode just to survive.
Test cricket is changing, making way for more attacking styles of play. England’s Bazball approach and Travis Head’s bold hitting show how taking risks can be a successful strategy in today’s Test cricket. Rishabh Pant also plays with this daring attitude. Still, being aggressive without thinking can backfire. In Guwahati, India’s choice of shots suggested the team was unclear about whether they were playing with purpose or just being impatient.
Just before tea, things started to shift. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s solid 58 was exactly what India needed. After a tricky ball dismissed him from Simon Harmer, things went downhill. Sai Sudharsan was next, getting caught at mid-wicket on a bad shot. It was the same old story: India losing wickets because of simple mistakes. Three wickets fell for only seven runs, and the pressure was building.
Here’s where Pant, the captain, needed to keep his cool. South Africa played some mind games. Right after Pant ducked a bouncer, Temba Bavuma moved Tony de Zorzi to short leg, right under Pant’s helmet. The message was clear: We know what you want to do. Pant took the bait. Instead of settling down after the Tea break craziness, he charged down the pitch and tried to swat another Jansen bouncer, only to edge it behind. This wasn’t brave—it was just a bad decision.
Pant’s getting out, starting a collapse. Nitish Reddy got out to a short ball he should have left alone, exposing some problems with India’s team. Did India really need a part-time seamer who can bat a bit in these conditions, when a specialist batter could have made the batting lineup more solid? Then, Ravindra Jadeja was out to a ball that kept low, but even with that bit of bad luck, it felt like India was already losing it mentally way before that ball hit him.
Marco Jansen’s success wasn’t planned. After the game, he said he didn’t plan to bowl short the whole time. But because the pitch wasn’t offering any movement, bowling short just became a good tactic, and India fell for it. He bowled short for 10.2 of his 19.5 overs. All six wickets he took were from short balls, and they only cost 19 runs.
Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, unlike India’s top batsmen, showed patience. The pitch was fine, and the ball wasn’t spinning too much. Washington mentioned after the game that it was a good pitch, and if you stay at the crease, you can score runs. The pitch wasn’t the problem; India’s poor shot selection was.
People will remember the Guwahati Test as a match India should have won. It wasn’t the harsh conditions or excellent bowling that did them in, but their mindset. Bad shot choices, trying to score too quickly, not paying attention to the game situation, and getting caught up in mind games really hurt them. Test cricket is about clear thinking and skill. India didn’t have enough of either when it mattered most that day.