The Guwahati Test began with India desperate to bounce back after their first-Test drubbing, but South Africa clearly didn’t come to donate sympathy runs. Instead, Marco Jansen turned the ACA Stadium into a personal playground, unleashing a spell that plunged them into yet another India batting collapse. After all the pre-match talk about restoring pride, India found themselves trapped in the same old nightmare.

How India’s Middle Order Fell Apart?

If you wanted a textbook example of how not to bat in a Test match, India’s middle order happily provided one. At first, things didn’t look too bleak: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s timing was crisp, and the pitch, unlike Kolkata’s chaotic strip, was perfectly playable. But then came Marco Jansen. The South African quick used every inch of his six-foot-eight frame to send down a barrage of nasty short balls, sparking the second big India batting collapse of the series.

Marco Jansen, you beauty!! 💥

A superb six-wicket haul for our left-arm quick. 🤩

A truly sensational performance in Guwahati! 👏🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/Lh0ruTutYh

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 24, 2025

Jansen’s plan wasn’t even complicated. He found a hint of bounce, dismissed Dhruv Jurel with a top-edged pull, and then realised India’s batters were in a self-destructive mood. Out went Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy and then Jasprit Bumrah. Rishabh Pant, in his first Test as captain, went down swinging, literally, with a wild charge that ended in a thick edge. Even worse, he reviewed it despite a noise loud enough to startle the pigeons, and the result, you know.

After a Marco Jansen 6-fa, South Africa chose not to inflict India with an embarrassing home follow-on.

But the tourists are still nearing a famous #INDvSA series win >> https://t.co/vNoOVmC7r2 pic.twitter.com/DOkY474EOI

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) November 24, 2025

To be fair, Jansen was brilliant, relentlessly hostile, clever and opportunistic. But India helped him tremendously with their impatience and muddled shot selection. By the time the carnage ended, he had six wickets, and had produced yet another glaring India batting collapse.

Fans Erupt: “Sack Gautam Gambhir!”

Of course, when things fall apart in Indian cricket, there is always someone ready to catch the blame… usually the coach. The Guwahati collapse was no exception. Social media exploded with calls to “ sack Gautam Gambhir ”, as if Gambhir himself had run down the pitch and nicked off to the keeper. Indian fans are passionate on the calmest of days; give them two Test defeats and a failing middle order, and you’ll get digital riots.

Sack Gambhir 🔥 @GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/SKAjFIe0DN

— Hitman 🇮🇳 Lover 🇮🇳 (@ILoveYouJanu68) November 24, 2025

It doesn’t help that Gambhir’s red-ball track record isn’t exactly sparkling. Since taking over the Test side, he has overseen seven wins, two draws, and nine defeats, possibly ten by the time this match ends. That’s a worrying ratio, especially when you add two home whitewash possibilities in just over a year: New Zealand’s 3–0 hammering earlier in 2024, and now a likely 2–0 loss to South Africa. Strategically, there are legitimate concerns.

Washington Sundar’s batting position in his last seven Test innings 😳
Washington Sundar has batted almost everywhere in the order recently. Tactical genius or too much chopping and changing? What is Washi’s best position? 🤔👇 pic.twitter.com/EtuEQP84wg

— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) November 24, 2025

Gambhir has often picked XIs skewed heavily toward all-rounders, leaving India with just three specialist batters. The result? A fragile core that’s forced to rebuild constantly after failed experiments. Washington Sundar at No. 3 one week, Sai Sudharsan the next. Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, even Jadeja tried at No. 5. It’s as though the batting order is a lucky draw machine: spin it and see what comes out.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨

This might be GG’s last match as the coach of the Indian cricket Test team. [EPSN Sports] pic.twitter.com/Mo0JMcQrpl

— muffatball vikrant (@Vikrant_1589) November 24, 2025

Add to this the lack of a reliable finger spinner after Ashwin’s retirement, the puzzling exclusion of experienced pacers like Mohammed Shami, and the inconsistent backing of young batters who are promoted one match and dropped the next, and suddenly the clamour to sack Gautam Gambhir doesn’t seem entirely irrational.

Should the Coach Shoulder All the Blame?

Yet, as tempting as it is to make Gambhir the villain of the story, blaming him alone is lazy analysis. India’s players also need to take ownership. Test cricket isn’t meant to be played like a Sunday afternoon T20 knockabout, but India’s middle order seemed determined to prove otherwise. Pant’s charge at Jansen, Jurel’s ill-timed hook, Sudharsan’s needless pull, none of these strokes had anything to do with Gambhir whispering bad ideas into their helmets.

A 𝙅𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡 special to kickstart your day! 🤌🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/KFxBrBUJVu

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) November 24, 2025

Even with a shaky game plan, world-class batters are expected to adapt. Jaiswal did. Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav fought for every run. The pitch wasn’t treacherous; South Africa didn’t deploy sorcery. But India’s temperament was missing in action. Discipline, patience, shot selection—these are player responsibilities, not tactical diagrams scribbled on a dressing-room whiteboard. We also can’t ignore that transitions are messy. India lost Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ashwin in a matter of months. Replacing three generational players overnight is like replacing three pillars of a house while still living inside it. Mistakes were inevitable.

Batted, Kuldeep! 🧱💪 pic.twitter.com/Kw6lWZuAkK

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 24, 2025

So yes, Gambhir’s decisions deserve scrutiny. Yes, the fans shouting sack Gautam Gambhir have valid grievances. But to pretend the players bear no responsibility is equally misguided. They walked into bouncers, swung wildly against the match situation and repeated errors match after match. Even Marco Jansen would tell you he didn’t need genius plans; India simply made themselves easy targets.

Conclusion

India’s current predicament isn’t the fault of one man. It’s a collective stutter: a muddled transition, flimsy strategies, and a middle order that keeps offering fresh donations whenever pressure arrives. Marco Jansen didn’t single-handedly tear India apart; he simply exposed flaws that have been looming for months. Whether or not India choose to sack Gautam Gambhir, one truth remains: unless both the coach and the players take responsibility, rethink their approach and stabilise the batting order, the team will continue slipping into one collapse after another. And no amount of hashtags can fix that.