Causes for the defeat of Indian cricket team in 2024 Test series against New-Zealand.
Sanjoy Roy.
November 6, 2024, 13:10:48
The result of 2024 Test cricket series between India and New-Zealand (Kiwi) is really unprecedented and a bolt from the blue. Indian supporters are crestfallen to see the team suffered a 3-0 clean sweep against Newzealand causing India’s dominance on home soil to an abrupt end. This article is an attempt to offer an idea about the key areas where and why Indian team failed miserably based on the author’s own experience and the views of experts made by the commentators during the match and reports as found in the esteemed dailies. The defeat is undoubtedly an embarrassment to the heightened stature of Indian legendary batters known for their batting supremacy, prowess and particularly the immaculate batting style, flawless technique and skill-sets on whirlwind spinning tracks across test cricket playing countries. Players like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid VVS Laxman and Mohammad Azharuddin etc might be wondering to witness the present days’ batting maestros like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma etc becoming mere puppets at the hands of left-handed Kiwi spinners. The home series defeat is unquestionably a blot on Indian Cricket. This is the first time in India’s Test history that they’ve been whitewashed in a Test series of three or more matches. Since the defeat of the first test match in Bengaluru, the new head coach including other coaches, support staff and seasoned captain Rohit Sharma had been clueless to tackle the Kiwis particularly their bowlers. In Bengaluru, the team got bundled out to a disgraceful paltry score of 46 when the Kiwi pace bowlers had blown Indian team out of the contest and pocketed the match within 3 hours from the start of five-day test match while in the second and third tests left-arm Kiwi spinners had gobbled most Indian batters in both innings grabbing majority wickets and won the matches and the series 3-0. It is really distressing to reckon that Indian team had lost a test series for the first time against Kiwis in home condition as well as home series defeat after a lag of 12 years that happened in 2012 against England.
The principal reason for the downfall is horrific form of batters coupled with poor consistency and lack of composures among the players. With a view to playing aggressive and attacking cricket, Indian players forgot to apply themselves when situation demanded them to show restraint but they stuck to aggressive cricket and brought their downfall. Not a single batsman could show uniformity, fortitude and maturity at highest order to guide the team to a respectable position and register victory in any match. In the second innings of the first test, at one stage Indian team had been at 400 for 3. But the team got suddenly scuttled to 459 when new ball was taken by Kiwi Skipper as a last resort to break the prolonged innings between Sarfaraj and Risav Pant who would know that restraining their shots against the new ball for few overs could sway the match completely in India’s favour with seven batsmen still waiting in the pavilion, but they faltered to spend five to six overs silently and could not control them from playing the risky shots. What they did with the new ball was uncalled-for. Sarfaraj who had been batting on 150 runs went for a glory shot against New ball and became an immediate victim of Kiwi pacer and opened the door for kiwi bowlers to pick up one after another wicket including the wicket of Risav Pant on 99. Not a single batter after the dismissals of Sarfaraj and Risav could show any resistance and fell like a pack of cards and the team had ended the second innings at 459 asking Kiwi batters to score 107 runs and win the match and done by Kiwis professionally.
The same scenario had prevailed in the 2nd test match at Pune witnessing total batting collapses in both innings. There was no demon in the wicket but the Indian players were impatient. It was looked that they were preoccupied with aggressive batting and they had been day dreaming for victory. Aggression is good but it should not at the cost of weakening one’s own fortress. The way Indian batters had meekly surrendered, it was painful to see and believe. Conversely, when Indian spinners had been bowling in the wickets, Kiwi batters could score runs easily hitting the ball out of the boundary. It may be told that the gross failure of Ravichandran Ashwin to dominate on turning tracks in Pune and Mumbai had enabled the Kiwi batters to score runs easily. It was a sheer humiliation for Indian spinners accustomed with the conditions of pitches and possessing enough experiences and varieties in their armouries but to no avail. The kiwi team scored almost equal runs in both innings of 2nd test match after winning the toss on a wicket aiding the spinners from day one while Indian batters had failed very miserably and could not resist one traditional left-arm slow spinner and squandered the series. The defeat of the team in Wankhede stadium might be worst of three tests. Although it is the home ground for Rohit, Jaisawal, Sarfaraj, they failed wretchedly exposing utter weakness of Indian batters to play spin on turning pitch. They stumbled in chasing of a modest 147-run target and showed no intent or hunger for victory.
The performance of the team during this series against Newzealand indicates that the team has been suffering from over-confidence and lack of adequate preparation. Indian team management might have underrated Kiwis and thought that they would beat the kiwis effortlessly at home soil and would amass necessary points to ensure their berth for the next world Test championship final before going to Australia on a five test match series in November 2024. The team management had not only misread the situations of all venues but the lack of professionalism in the attitude of the team management coupled with inadequate feedback about the strength and history of success of Kiwis against India in many important matches may also be the reasons for the downfall of the team. If this is not the case, it raises question why Indian team in Bangalore had opted for batting first on a wet pitch against the team that had given immense troubles previously to Indian team several times. It may be mentioned that Indian team had suffered in the final of first test championship against the Kiwis batting first on a rain-affected pitch in England in 2021 and again against the Kiwis in semi-final of world cup in 2019 in England when rain interrupted the game besides the defeat in UAE in 2021 T20 world Test championship with the history of loss beginning from 2000 in the Champions trophy final in Nairobi.
The struggles of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had no doubt been the serious lacuna but the disappointing performances of Jaiswal, Gill and lower batters like Jadeja , Ashwin and others had also cost the team dearly. Team management was not proactive and pragmatic to improve the performance of team. The combination of players proved wrong. As many batters had been running with pitiable form, there was no reason of going with five bowlers on Indian soil where spinners exert pivotal role. In the last two test matches, the role of two pacers was very slender and selection of two pacers in the team provided least utility. Instead, the inclusion of sixth batter could embolden the batting department given the poor form and struggles of many batters, which in turn, could avert the defeat of 113 runs in the second test and 25 runs in the third test easily, if considered. The captaincy of Rohit Sharma had also raised question particularly the decision of batting first and the choice of going with three spinners on a green top wet pitch in Bengaluru, his defensive tactics of not placing more close in-fielders around the batters in Pune and Mumbai when ball was moving appreciably from the pitch and last but not least the aggressive attitude of other batters in chasing 147 runs in Mumbai etc. It may be added that Rohit himself had admitted that there were lots of mistakes made by the team throughout the series and they had to accept it.
It is also feared whether there is proper coordination in the team, between the coach and senior players in the side or whether their lies any conflict within the team or with the new coach. Given the previous history as well as old turmoil between Virat and Gambhir, this should not be brushed aside as Gambhir had insisted Virat and Rohit on playing in the ODI series against Sri-Lanka which was also lost by India under the leadership of Rohit. Thus the situation does not augur very well while performances and bond between Rohit and Gambhir do not exhibit anything resplendent till date except the series against Bangladesh. A sense of insecurity may have crept among some players causing them most vulnerable and adrift impacting the overall results of the team. Thus, BCCI bosses need to look into the matter meticulously and immediately before the situation worsens further for the sake of safeguarding and protecting the reputation and goodwill of Indian Cricket. In a nut shell it may be mentioned that the defeat of the team against the kiwis is undoubtedly a heartbreak for the Indian team and it had limited the probability of Indian team playing in Test championship final unless they attain a 4-0 lead against the mighty Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 commencing from the 22nd November 2024.
(Tripurainfo)