India Lost. Accountability Cannot Hide Behind Silence

India has been beaten before. India has been embarrassed before but what has unfolded over the past weeks is not a blip. It is not a bad tour. It is not “one of those things.” What we have seen is a steady collapse that began against New Zealand and continued sharply against South Africa. This is a full system failure. The worst part is the familiar Indian habit of pretending everything is fine. That habit has ruined enough institutions in this country. It cannot ruin Indian cricket.

The signals were already blinking red against New Zealand. A 3–0 whitewash. Bowled out cheaply. Senior players misreading conditions. No fight on the last day when survival was the only job. Instead of taking that loss as a warning, the system packed it away like a messy file. Nobody wanted to question it. It felt like a country that refuses to look into the mirror because it does not like its own reflection.

Then came the South Africa series. Two Tests at home where India was expected to dominate. Two Tests where the gaps in thinking, selection, planning and temperament opened up like potholes on Mumbai and Pune roads.

In the first Test, India needed 124 to win. They were bowled out for 93. At home. In familiar conditions and on a pitch that demanded patience but not fear. The collapse was not a one-off. It was a clear sign that the batting unit had forgotten the basics.

In the second Test, the pattern repeated itself. First innings 201. Second innings 140 while chasing 549. Once again, no spine in the middle. No resistance. Ravindra Jadeja fought valiantly, scoring a gritty 54 off 87 balls. Sai Sudharsan hung on for 138 balls, only to fall to Senuran Muthusamy early in the second session. South Africa, relentless and precise, won by a crushing 408 runs—India’s heaviest Test defeat ever in terms of runs. This emphatic victory also marked South Africa’s first Test series triumph in India in 25 years, a milestone for captain Temba Bavuma, who now joins Hansie Cronje in the record books while maintaining his unbeaten streak as Test skipper.

Once again, the bowling tried but looked tired. The batting surrendered long before South Africa applied pressure. You can blame pitches. You can blame the toss. You can blame luck. But when collapses become predictable, the issue is not the pitch. The issue is the team.

Gautam Gambhir arrived with the reputation of a fighter. Someone who wore scars proudly. Someone who could take on the world. The team, however, does not look like it is fighting for anything. His public statements are tight and guarded, but his team selections look confused. He talks intent but the batting looks like it has forgotten the first rule of Test cricket. Stay. Play straight. Build. There was no sign of discipline. No sign of a plan. This is not a bad week at work. This is a coach who has not managed to impose structure on a dressing room known for egos and hierarchy. The results are in front of us.

Ajit Agarkar has not done well either. Team balance is his job. Selection clarity is his job. Protecting young players is his job. He has not delivered. It is painful to watch players being pushed in and out like trial samples. When selectors behave like this, the team becomes nervous. The batting order becomes shaky. This has happened before. It is happening again with Agarkar in charge. His media interactions have been short and vague. This is not leadership. This is hiding.

So what now. Cricket writers in this country must stop behaving like PR managers for the BCCI. No more soft questioning. No more polite “what went wrong” lines. This is the time to ask direct questions. Why were the pitches misread? Why were senior players shielded? Why were younger players sacrificed? Why is the dressing room so fragile? Why are fitness levels dropping? Why do we celebrate potential but ignore results?

The outrage from the public is justified. Fans in India are loyal to a fault. They invest time and money and emotion. They treat cricket like a member of the family. They deserve accountability from everyone. Coaches. Selectors. Star players. Board officials. This defeat is not a random event. It is a wake-up call.

Gambhir must accept that he has not stabilised the team. Agarkar must accept that selection has become guesswork. Senior batters must accept that reputation does not score runs. If India wants to climb back into Test cricket, the first step is honesty. The second step is discipline. The third step is dropping egos at the dressing room door.

So, Gambhir-rao: stop asking the BCCI to take a call. If you have misstepped, if you have mishandled something, if you have created a situation that needs correction, resign. Walk away. Let the institution work without your baggage. All the awards, all the applause, all the history will not matter if people remember you for the dodge instead of the innings!

In Pune there is a simple Marathi line. Bolaycha tar bol. Nahi tar uth. Speak up or move aside. This is the moment for Indian cricket to choose.