"Ability To Play Spin Difference Between India And South Africa": Suresh Raina To NDTV
India, meanwhile, have veered towards high-risk, short-tempo batting - the kind that works in the IPL influence era but rarely in long-format chess. For Raina, the issue is as much technical as it is structural.
A three-day defeat in Kolkata, a bruised middle order, and questions piling up faster than answers -- India's Test team in choppy waters even in Guwahati. Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina believes the issue runs deeper than a single loss. Speaking to NDTV's Rica Roy at the jersey launch of the Indian Softball Cricket League, Raina offered a candid assessment of where India slipped, why the middle order looks hollow, and what needs rebuilding urgently. It's an uncomfortable truth. On turning tracks at home, opponents seem more assured, more patient, more willing to grind.
India, meanwhile, have veered towards high-risk, short-tempo batting - the kind that works in the IPL influence era but rarely in long-format chess. For Raina, the issue is as much technical as it is structural.
"The difference between South Africa and India is that we are not playing spin well. That's what we used to do. The USP of Indian batters was the ability to play spin well."
India's 30-run defeat at Eden Gardens was less about the surface - a low, slow, under-watered strip - and more about how the batters responded to it. The ball gripped, ducked and kicked at will, and yet South Africa found ways to stitch partnerships while India's batting collapsed
Missing glue in the middle order
And Raina didn't sugar-coat it. "Absolutely, I think (India are missing a glue in the middle order). They still have a lot of quality players... but they haven't played much cricket after Australia. We lost against New Zealand also.
The former India all-rounder also expressed concern about the lack of first class cricket exposure for the top Indian stars that is not helping their cause any more
A new Test cricket trend - and India caught between styles
Raina also pointed to a wider shift in global Test cricket. "The cricket this team is playing is in a different manner now... we saw in the Ashes also, the Test match finished in two and a half days."
India, too, have been dragged into that high-tempo arena - but without the balance between attack and defence that their predecessors mastered.
Guwahati: Gambhir era meets first real pressure test
Gautam Gambhir, now faces his first major stress test. Guwahati isn't just another match - it is a reputation-shaping moment. Raina issued a pointed but constructive reminder. "The coach (Gautam Gambhir) can't say 'I'm doing better.' He has a lot of responsibility. He has to strategise for the team to work session by session."
India's strengths remain intact, but the execution has wavered. Gambhir's tenure is expected to bring toughness, clarity, and tactical discipline. Guwahati will reveal how much of that has already seeped in.
Suresh Raina
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team