Following India's disappointing 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has delivered a scathing assessment of the Indian batting lineup, attributing their struggles to a lack of participation in domestic cricket. The loss gives South Africa a 1-0 lead in the two-Test Freedom Trophy series.

Gavaskar didn't hold back in his criticism, emphasizing that the absence of competitive domestic matches hinders players' exposure to diverse pitch conditions, which is crucial for their development. He pointed out that many players are not participating in domestic cricket, which he believes is essential for honing skills on challenging pitches. "A lot of our players do not play domestic cricket. If you play domestic cricket, you will get to play on such pitches," Gavaskar remarked.

The Kolkata Test exposed India's vulnerability to spin, as the team struggled to chase a target of just 124 runs, playing with only ten batters after captain Shubman Gill was sidelined due to a neck injury. Gavaskar highlighted the lack of domestic cricket participation as a significant factor contributing to India's batting collapse.

Gavaskar also voiced concerns about the current players' reluctance to engage in domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy. He noted that the focus on workload management has led to a disconnect between domestic and international cricket. "They only want to play in the Ranji Trophy if they are out of form," he stated, suggesting that this mindset could be detrimental to the team's overall performance. He has been a vocal critic of 'workload management' of players. For him, a player should be ready to play all games for the country, no matter when the call comes. Even missing Ranji Trophy games due to workload management isn't something that the batting great advocates.

Adding to the discussion, Gavaskar echoed R Ashwin's remarks on India's spin troubles. Ashwin suggested that players from some Western countries are now better at playing spin than Indians. Gavaskar explained this by saying, "We are not the best spin going around in the world at this point in time. Most Western teams are better than India now because they come to India, they practice it a lot more, but we don't practice enough of it".

Gavaskar suggested that team management should consider selecting players who actively participate in domestic cricket to ensure they are better prepared for the rigors of international play. He also advised preparing pitches where the ball will grip and turn, and then picking players who are playing domestic cricket. "Maybe you want to look at, you know, preparing a pitch where the ball will grip and turn a little bit. Then you want to pick guys who are playing domestic cricket. We do not really want to play guys who are playing international cricket because they don't have the practice against such kind," he added.

The second Test of the series in Guwahati will be crucial for India as they look to level the series after their disappointing performance in Kolkata. Gavaskar's comments highlight the growing disconnect between domestic and international cricket in India, where established players often skip Ranji Trophy matches.