Despite India’s Champions Trophy 2025 title win, legendary former India captain Sourav Ganguly has voiced a big concern with the team. Ganguly stated that India still have a few flaws in Test cricket, particularly when it comes to batting, saying that players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant need to step up and make big scores in red ball cricket. He emphasized the need for the rising crop of Indian Test stars to contribute more with the bat away from home. Ganguly also stated that he does not see Virat Kohli failing in all five Tests against England.
Team India will tour England for a five-match Test series in June, which will be part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India’s two most recent Test series have ended in disaster – a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home, and a 1-3 defeat against Australia away.
Ganguly stated that many of the Indian players do not average over 40 away from home.
“My only worry is that, other than Virat (Kohli) and Yashasvi (Jaiswal), not many average more than 40 away from home. If you want to be a good Test team, three or four of your top six batters must be averaging close to 50 in Test matches,” said Ganguly, speaking at the RevSportz Trailblazers 3.0 Conclave.
Ganguly mapped out a way in which India can solve their problems on away tours.
“It is possible to transform our red-ball fortunes in England. You have to bat well. You look at the times India played their best away from home-it is when they put 400-500 runs on the board. You do not win Tests by scoring 200, 250, or 180. The reason they won in Perth was because they got 400 on the board,” Ganguly added.
“(Rishabh) Pant has got to bite the bullet and play the swinging ball. You cannot keep swinging all the time and expect to score runs in Test cricket. It is a mentality, determination, and grit. They have the talent. Virat Kohli is the best in the business. I do not see him failing in five Test matches in England. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, they need to step up,” Ganguly elaborated.
Ganguly, 52, took examples of Test series wins during his era to emphasize his words. Under Ganguly’s leadership, India had won a Test series in Pakistan, and drew series in England and Australia. Ganguly stated that this was only possible because the team had consistently set totals of 400, 500, 600 and even 700.
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