Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif criticised the Indian team following their recent 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Kaif shared a video on his social media platform 'X,' on Sunday, where he labelled India as “white-ball bullies,” expressing concerns over the team’s struggles in Test cricket.
He emphasised that the defeat should serve as a wake-up call for India, urging the team to prioritise Test cricket and improve their performance on challenging turning and seaming tracks if they are to succeed in the World Test Championship (WTC) moving forward.
“This 1-3 loss should be a wake-up call. We need to pay more attention to Test cricket. It’s not just Gautam Gambhir who is at fault. All players are equally to blame for this. All players get the chance to play in the Ranji Trophy, but it gets tiresome for the players, and they prefer to skip it. They don’t play Ranji Trophy; they don’t play practice matches. Then how will they become better players? And WTC will keep eluding you," Kaif said.
“I am telling you the truth. Whatever happened was right. Now it’s time to work on our Test cricket," he added.
He also stated that the defeat would soon be forgotten if India managed to beat Pakistan in their highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash next month.
The marquee match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 23, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“After beating Pakistan on February 23, you guys will take all the credit," he said.
“Everyone will say that we are a champions side in the white-ball. But if India wants to win the World Test Championship (WTC), we need to build a strong Test side. We have to learn how to play on turning tracks; in Australia we will have to learn to play on seaming conditions. The truth is that we are just white-ball bullies. We are lagging too far behind," he added.
The former U-19 World Cup-winning captain, emphasised the importance of domestic cricket in improving India’s Test performance.
“If we have to win WTC, then players will have to give importance to domestic cricket. They need to play on the turning tracks; they will have to practice on the seaming tracks; otherwise, we will not be able to win," he stated.
It is pertinent to mention that Australia ended their decade-long drought by reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 3-1 series win, their first since the 2014-15 edition.
The victory, sealed in the afternoon session on Day 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), also secured Australia’s place in the WTC final for the second consecutive time.
They are set to face South Africa for the prestigious title at Lord’s on June 11, 2025.