NEW DELHI: India may have eased the pain of the 0–2 Test series whitewash against South Africa with comprehensive victories in the ODI and T20I series, but former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar offered a reality check, saying the Test defeat still lingers and reflects the true state of the nation's cricketing health.

India, once a force to be reckoned with, have now suffered their second consecutive Test series clean sweep at home, having previously lost 0–3 to New Zealand last year.

Manjrekar stressed that white-ball wins can't mask India's Test failures, as the 0–2 loss to South Africa continues to reflect the true state of the country's cricket.

"Test cricket may not be the most popular format today but it's results linger. Ind may have won the ODI & T20 series v SA but it's 2-0 defeat in Tests still lingers. Tests results reveal the true health of a nation's cricket, hence addressing that must still remain priority," Manjrekar posted on X.

Undisputed Kings of T20Is

India's 3–1 series victory over South Africa marked their eighth consecutive T20I series win and extended their unbeaten run in the format to 14 straight series.

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This remarkable streak includes triumphs at the 2023 Asian Games, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 Asia Cup. The last time India lost a T20I series or tournament was back in August 2023, when they went down 3–2 to the West Indies.

India and South Africa's last seven bilateral T20I series have produced a closely fought rivalry, with India holding a slight edge. India began with a 2-1 series win in 2018, followed by a drawn series in 2019.

The teams then shared another drawn contest in 2022, before India reclaimed momentum later that year with a 2-1 victory. The rivalry remained evenly balanced with a drawn series in 2023, but India have since asserted dominance, winning back-to-back series 3–1 in 2024 and 2025.