Rahul Dravid Reveals Why India's Test Batting Is Struggling: 'Red Ball Practice Gap of 4-5 Months'

Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid has offered a candid assessment of why Indian batters have been struggling in Test cricket recently. Speaking at the launch of The Rise of the Hitman: The Rohit Sharma Story in Bengaluru, Dravid pointed to a concerning trend: all-format players are going months without touching a red ball before Test matches.

The Practice Gap Problem

Dravid's observations come at a crucial time for Indian cricket. After an unprecedented 12-year unbeaten run at home, India have lost two of their last three home Test series—3-0 to New Zealand in 2024 and 2-0 to South Africa in November 2025.

"There were times when we would get to a Test match three to four days before the match, and then when we start practising for the Test match, when you look back at the last time that some of these guys had actually hit a red ball, it might have been four months ago or five months ago."

The former coach emphasized that playing on challenging surfaces—whether turning tracks or seaming wickets—for extended periods in Test cricket requires specialized skills that cannot be developed without dedicated practice time.

Shubman Gill Echoes Dravid's Concerns

India's Test captain Shubman Gill has recently voiced similar concerns, requesting the BCCI to ensure adequate preparation time before Test series in future scheduling decisions.

Dravid acknowledged Gill's unique perspective:

"I think Shubman has kind of alluded to it a little bit, just recently, because I think he's one who experienced that. He's one who actually played recently for us in all of the three formats so I think he would have realised how difficult it is for him to actually gear up for the Test format."

A Generational Shift in Cricket Preparation

Dravid contrasted the current scenario with his own playing days, highlighting a fundamental shift in how cricketers prepare for different formats.

"In my generation, when there were only two formats in the game, and there wasn't really the idea of franchise cricket, there were a lot of times where I would have a whole month of practicing for a Test series and I would be able to play with the red ball, and I would be able to develop my skills."

The Flip Side: India's T20 Dominance

Interestingly, Dravid noted that the same dynamics that hurt Test performance have supercharged India's white-ball prowess. India currently lead New Zealand 3-0 in their ongoing T20I series and enter the T20 World Cup as defending champions and favourites.

"You look at the hitting part, and the way people are hitting today in white-ball cricket, it's because they are able to practise it a lot more. A lot of these boys who spend two-and-a-half months in the IPL, all they are doing is practicing how many sixes they can hit, so they are getting much better at it."

The World Test Championship Factor

Dravid also addressed how the World Test Championship has inadvertently contributed to batting struggles worldwide. With India currently sitting in sixth place in the WTC standings and needing a significant turnaround to challenge for the 2027 final, the pressure for results has intensified.

"The importance of getting result-oriented wickets has become much more. Today the pressure on home teams to win all the games has increased because of the World Test Championship. That's why I think you are seeing slightly more wickets which are favouring the bowlers too much. And not only in India, but everywhere."

Looking Ahead: Can India Address the Balance?

Dravid's insights present Indian cricket with a significant scheduling and preparation challenge. The question now is whether the BCCI can find ways to ensure multi-format players get adequate red-ball practice while maintaining their commitments across all formats.

With the WTC cycle ongoing and India's Test reputation at stake, addressing this practice gap could be crucial to reviving the team's fortunes in the longest format of the game. The balance between franchise cricket commitments, bilateral series, and major ICC events will require careful navigation from both administrators and players alike.