The Indian cricket team’s dominance on home soil finally ended with a series defeat against New Zealand. After losing the Bengaluru Test, India were once again beaten inside three days in Pune.
India last lost a Test series at home against England in 2012. However, looking back, the series saw India lose 2-1 (D1) in the four-match affair. Notably, India’s performance in that series was also better than what we have witnessed in the first two matches against the Kiwis.
India have been outplayed by a nation that doesn’t boast solid numbers in Asia and just came off a 2-0 drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka. One would have easily backed India to maintain their composure, having beaten Bangladesh recently. With the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 final at stake, top-placed India were backed to win at home and enhance their position in the top two before the five-Test tour of Australia.
What it has instead done is that the likes of South Africa and New Zealand have come into the fray and could vie for a berth alongside the Aussies. New Zealand, who play England at home next, can come to life and join the party. This Test series win is as big as it gets.
India, under Gautam Gambhir’s coaching and Rohit Sharma’s leadership, have fallen flat. They look suspect to pace and spin and lack consistency in batting or bowling. This is a major hindrance for a team that wants to go to Australia and win a third successive series Down Under. Not all is lost; India have another match left at the Wankhede and would want to avoid a whitewash.
Here, we decode five reasons why India lost the Test series at home versus the Kiwis.
1. Assessment gone wrong
In overcast conditions, and with Day 1 of the Bengaluru Test washed out due to rain, India needed to be wise when play started on Day 2. Rohit Sharma, who won the toss, opted to bat. What happened next is that the side was bowled out for 46. The three-man Kiwi pace unit just ripped apart India with swing and seam. As many as five Team India batters got ducks in the first innings. It was a bad decision made both by Rohit and the management.
Later on, Rohit acknowledged he misread the surface and the conditions. NZ’s decision to opt for three pacers worked, whereas India misfired in team selection too. They went for three spinners who hardly got any help from the surface. With the sun coming out and the surface aiding batters, India missed any sort of joy. The 46 all-out sets the tone of the series, and this is where the visitors cashed in.
In the second Test, India did well in including Washington Sundar, but with a spin-friendly track, the presence of Akash Deep made little sense. When you are at home, and you have top spinners, the ideal scenario would be to attack with spin. Perhaps the inclusion of Axar Patel as the fourth spinner would have done more help, given his ability to bowl tight. He could have stemmed the flow of runs. Akash Deep bowled just six overs in the contest, and a position was wasted.
2. Indian batters are suspect to pacers with the new ball
What we witnessed in Bengaluru is that India are a suspect to new ball especially with quality pacers. Yes, the conditions in the first innings helped New Zealand and stunned India, but a lot also has to say about the mindset and shot-making. When India were 2 wickets down, Sarfaraz Khan came in and decided to have a slap only to be caught. More poor shot selections followed, with the likes of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja being prey.
India did show their courage in the 2nd innings and scored 468 runs, but in that innings, too, the second new ball forced a collapse. From 408/3, India were folded for 462. All 7 wickets came to the pacers who just walked past India. There was no demon on the surface as it highlighted abysmal shot-making under the circumstances backed by discipline from the New Zealand pacers.
Even in Pune, it was Tim Southee who set the tone with the new ball by getting Rohit Sharma.
3. India unable to apply the basics and learn from New Zealand
New Zealand understood the conditions and the way to apply themselves both in Bengaluru and Pune. On both occasions, they got the right balance, and their batters and bowlers used the help from the surface. Across both games, several New Zealand batters stood up and handled Indian bowlers with ease. They used the sweep and reverse sweep well and didn’t allow Indian spinners to settle. In contrast, Indian batters used less sweep and played the wrong line more often.
Mitchell Santner single-handedly out-bowled India across two innings. The left-arm spinner’s straight lines and pace changes paid off. What the Indian spinners – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – did was to bowl quicker and lose their shape. They also strayed down the wrong lines and didn’t bowl straight or slower. This was also seen in the first Test when New Zealand scored 400-plus after India’s 46. There, too, both Ashwin and Jadeja fell flat, with Kuldeep Yadav being expensive. To see a Rachin Ravindra dictate the spin legends was a spectacle.
4. Rohit and Kohli fail to lead by example
Rohit and Virat Kohli are the senior figures, and the side needs to have the two lead by example. But their abysmal form continued. Rohit scored 6. 5, 23 and 8 in the series against Bangladesh. He has managed 2, 52, 0, and 8 versus New Zealand. Six scores of 10 or less from eight outings look worrisome,
On the other hand, Kohli’s application has gone missing. Barring a 70, he has faltered in each of the other innings. He suffered twin failures in Pune, being dismissed against Santner, which included being bowled off a full-toss. Since 2021, Kohli has been dismissed 22 times by spinners in Asia. He has failed to address this shortcoming. Kohli has five scores of 20 or less in his last 8 innings.
Both Rohit and Kohli need to look deep, curb their egos, and play domestic cricket. After the Bangladesh series, they should have played in the Irani Cup for the Rest of India and gained confidence rather than taking a break.
5. Indian side lacked any sort of consistency across departments
Ashwin’s average of 43.50 with the ball highlights the struggle he has faced to contain the New Zealand batters in this series. In 67 overs, Ashwin conceded 261 runs, with his economy rate being 3.89. Notably, he has only five maiden overs.
Likewise, Jadeja has six scalps at 37.50 from four innings. He has conceded 225 runs from 65.2 overs, and his economy rate is 3.44.
If not for Sundar, India would be struggling further in Pune. In terms of batting, barring the 467, there are gaping holes. And a lot has to do with not reading the situation and playing accordingly. This has also got to do with Gautam Gambhir’s outlay of being more aggressive. Not every situation demands the same.
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