Kolkata – Following a recent Test defeat against South Africa, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has publicly suggested a strategic shift for the national team. Jaffer advocated for a return to the pitches that defined India’s dominant home record during the Virat Kohli captaincy, specifically referencing the 2016-17 season. The recommendation came after South Africa chased down a modest target at Eden Gardens, raising questions about the current pitch preparations and their impact on the team’s performance against spin bowling.
Kolkata – Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has suggested the Indian team management revisit the classic pitches that characterized the Virat Kohli era, following India’s defeat in the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens. Jaffer shared his recommendation in a post on X after South Africa chased down a target of 124 runs on the third day, finishing with 93 all out.
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Jaffer pointed out that the team appeared to have learned little from their complete series loss to New Zealand in 2024. He referenced the 2016-17 home season under Kohli’s captaincy, suggesting a return to similar pitch conditions.
“It seems we haven’t learned from the series defeat against New Zealand,” Jaffer wrote. “The difference between our spinners and the opposition spinners gets minimized on pitches like these. We need to go back to classic Indian pitches, like we had during the 2016-17 season when England and New Zealand toured under Virat’s captaincy.”
During the 2016-17 home season, India enjoyed a dominant run, winning consecutive series against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, and Australia. They won 13 of 13 Test matches, with only one match ending within three days – a 333-run loss to Australia in Pune – and two ending in draws.
India secured 10 Test victories that season, whitewashing New Zealand 3-0 and winning series against England (4-0), Bangladesh (1-0), and Australia (2-1). Throughout that period, India consistently played on sporting wickets that offered assistance to both pace and spin bowlers. Jaffer believes a return to those conditions would benefit the current team. This was a golden era for Indian cricket, and Jaffer hopes to see that style of play return.
Content Highlights: Wasim Jaffer suggests India return to classic home pitches like Kohli`s era after recent Test defeats. Learn more!
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