Sunil Gavaskar Slams Duleep Trophy Final, Exposes Why India Struggle In Test Cricket: "How Does A Team Learn?"
Sunil Gavaskar expressed concern over East Zone's approach in the Duleep Trophy final, relating it to an underlying struggle in Test cricket for India.
- Sunil Gavaskar slammed East Zone's safe approach of winning via first innings lead in the Duleep Trophy final
- Gavaskar pointed out that such an approach is why India is struggling to bowl teams out in Test cricket
- "How does a team learn to take 20 wickets if they don't bowl in two innings in a domestic game?" he said
Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was left deeply unimpressed despite East Zone's massive win over South Zone in the recent Duleep Trophy 2026 final. East Zone won via first innings lead as the game ended in a draw after five days, with captain Ishan Kishan slamming 270 in the first innings. However, Gavaskar criticised East Zone for choosing to bat again despite a first innings lead of 372 and not going for an outright victory. Gavaskar stated that settling for a first innings win rather than trying to bowl out the opponent twice by taking 20 wickets is a mentality that is hurting Indian cricket.
What happened in the Duleep Trophy final?
East Zone posted 708 in the first innings, led by Ishan Kishan's fabulous 270. Then, they bowled out South Zone for just 338, taking a first innings lead of 372.
However, instead of enforcing the follow-on and looking to go for a direct win, East Zone chose to bat again despite just over a day of action remaining. Ishan Kishan and co. settled for victory via the first innings lead, and the match ultimately ended in a draw.
Sunil Gavaskar's big complaint
Gavaskar criticised the decision by East Zone to play it safe, stating that such calls prevents bowlers from getting the experience of taking 20 wickets in a match in first-class cricket.
"The disappointing part was that East Zone did not go for an outright win and instead prolonged their second innings unnecessarily. That both skippers agreed to end the game earlier than scheduled also doesn't sit well," Gavaskar wrote in his column on Mid-day.
"This business of the first innings lead being enough, is one of the main reasons India struggle to take 20 wickets on good pitches. How does a team learn to take 20 wickets if they don't bowl in two innings in a domestic game?" Gavaskar stated.
The legendary opener pointed to India's recent second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, where Shubman Gill's side could not secure a win after failing to bowl out a resilient opposition in the final two days.
"India huffed and puffed on the last day of the second Test in Sri Lanka and couldn't take the last four wickets for a victory," he said.
"Just like it takes time for a batter to learn how to go from 20 and 30 to a half-century and from 70 and 80 to a century, so also understanding how to get 10 wickets in the second innings takes time.
"There's the question of stamina of course, for after four days of tense cricket, not just the physical but the mental stress also can be too much. And the one way to learn how to deal with that is at the first-class level. But, if a team that has taken a huge first innings lead is simply not interested in being on the field again, then how does one get the experience?" Gavaskar added.
The failure to secure a victory against Sri Lanka in the Colombo Test hampered India's chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) 2027 final. As it stands, India sit fifth in the WTC standings, with two Tests against New Zealand and five Test against Australia to follow.
Sunil Gavaskar
India Cricket Team