Indian cricket often feels strongest at home but even the most dominant teams face moments of transition. South Africa’s Test captain and World Test Championship winner Temba Bavuma believes India’s journey ahead will be a mixed one, with success in white-ball formats likely, but tougher challenges waiting in Test cricket.
Temba Bavuma feels the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026 could suit India perfectly. With the tournament set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March, home conditions and squad depth work strongly in India’s favour. He also believes that in the ODI format, the experience and presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will remain central, both in terms of performances and leadership, helping keep stability within the setup.
However, Temba Bavuma struck a cautious note when it came to India’s red-ball future. He pointed out that India’s once-impenetrable home dominance has shown cracks. After remaining unbeaten at home for 12 years, India were stunned by New Zealand in 2024, losing a three-match Test series 3-0. That setback was followed by another worrying sign last year, when South Africa secured their first Test series win in India since 2000, further raising questions about India’s Test strength.
According to Temba Bavuma, these results suggest that Test cricket could be a tough road for India in the near future, even as they continue to look strong in limited-overs formats. He also touched upon the ongoing debate around India’s coaching structure and Gautam Gambhir’s role across formats. While some believe Gambhir should focus only on white-ball cricket and hand over Test responsibilities to someone else, Temba Bavuma shared South Africa’s experience with a similar idea.
He explained that South Africa experimented with splitting red-ball and white-ball coaching roles in 2023. While the idea had logic at the time, the team later found that having one coach across formats brought better continuity for players. A single voice, philosophy and playing style helped reduce confusion and made transitions between formats smoother.
Temba Bavuma admitted he is not a fan of the split-coach system, noting that different messaging across formats can unsettle players. In his view, consistency matters just as much as tactics.
As India balance star power, home advantage and evolving challenges, Temba Bavuma’s words serve as a reminder that dominance in cricket is never permanent, especially in the longest format.
