Why Team India is failing the transition game in Test cricket

Excelling in the longest format requires a different approach and technique that can only be honed in first-class cricket

- Ashish Magotra

The Indian national team is big into blocking outside noise. Just as 'process' and 'intent' had once become the keywords for previous generations, 'outside noise' it is for this team. To them, it is, at the very least, a distraction and at the most, a destabilising factor induced by those who know very little about the dressing room.

But sometimes, it makes sense to listen.

For years now, former cricketers and fans alike have been talking about the need to play more Ranji Trophy matches. It builds character, it hones technique and gives you space to tinker. But for years now, the cricketers and the Board for Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have resisted the call.

Now, as T20-bred cricketers come to the fore, that decision is coming back to haunt India. As coach Gautam Gambhir said after the Guwahati loss against South Africa, this side is "learning on the job". But learning is precisely what Ranji Trophy, and not Test cricket, is built for.

Virat Kohli, for instance, played a Ranji game in 2025 after a hiatus of 12 years. He played 113 Tests between the two games for Delhi. But despite his average falling drastically in his last years as a Test cricketer (career avg: 46.85, last 5 years: 30.72), he never went back to the drawing board.