3 Major Changes India Must Make in Test Cricket to Avoid Painful Defeats

1.Emphasis on Domestic Cricket for Batters

All batters should be mandated to participate in red-ball domestic cricket whenever they’re not on national duty. Runs scored in domestic cricket need to hold greater value, creating genuine competition for spots. Without this, players might continue chasing social media popularity instead of focusing on their game.

2. Clear Timeline for Underperforming Players

Managing a team of “star players” requires clear policies on when to drop someone. Is it after one bad series? Two? Three? A transparent timeline must be set, involving the captain, head coach, and chief selector. Long ropes are fine, but they shouldn’t stretch endlessly.

3. Consistent Player Pool for Each WTC Cycle

A core group of 20-22 players should be identified for each World Test Championship cycle. Apart from injury replacements, changes to this pool must be minimal. Constantly searching for a “surprise element” before every series has hurt Indian cricket repeatedly, and this mindset needs to change.