- Unexpected happened in the recently concluded three-match Test series between India and New Zealand. The Kiwis were always considered a team that pulled weight when it mattered most. Cricket connoisseurs and experts of the game will nod in agreement that the New Zealanders are always a very competitive side when it comes to performing at important events. Every International Cricket Council (ICC) sponsored event would have witnessed how the Kiwis not only present a challenging contest but also mount tremendous fightback in their inimitable ways to ensure they remain in the fray till the last ball is bowled. None of the cricket-playing nations would treat or take the Kiwis lightly for they have upset the applecart on several occasions. We know it.
PC: Freepik
- However, even the diehard New Zealand cricket fans would not have envisaged the eventual 3-0 whitewash over the much-fancied Team India at home. The way Team India was completely outplayed and outfoxed in familiar playing conditions raises pertinent questions about the home team’s ability to master over visiting teams as they used to do not so long ago. The most pertinent question that readily comes to one’s mind is why Indian batsmen are finding it tough to counter the visiting spinners thereby failing to set a decent enough target for the bowlers to come into the equation. It is an extremely embarrassing and distressing sight to watch some of the famed Indian batters failing to offer even a semblance of resistance against the not-so-famed Kiwi spinners.
- Two Kiwi spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaj Patel stand out for performing extraordinarily during the series by bamboozling the Indian batters. The poor form of captain Rohit Sharma did not help the team’s cause as he was snared by pace bowlers four times out of six. Virat Kohli has struggled to counter left-arm spinners for a while as the statistics reveal. Many may not like it being mentioned, but the talismanic batter increasingly appears to have left behind his best years of cricket. This must be worrying the think tank. The aura, indomitable spirit, and the swag with which Kohli used to dominate the bowlers have become few and far between. The technical lacunas are visible, and the international bowlers are adept at exploiting them to the fullest.
PC: Times of India
- The moot point to ponder over here is whether the aging superstars of Indian cricket are up for the more challenges awaiting them in the ensuing five-match Test series Down Under. With uncertainty surrounding Rohit Sharma’s participation in the first Test, Team India will be under considerable pressure to not only pose enough counter challenges to the Aussies but also aim to win a hattrick of series victories as well. Other batters are yet to find their feet in international cricket, especially Tests. If Kohli and Rohit subsequently fail to deliver the goods, Team India will be staring at even further embarrassment. As such, a couple of famed Test careers will be in line if Team India is arm-twisted into meek submission by Team Australia. Fingers crossed.
