he Indian cricket team is again in a very difficult position having suffered an embarrassing defeat as they were all out for a meager 156 runs against New Zealand, conceding a massive lead of 301 runs in the second Test match at Pune. Barring a few except all batsmen are to be blamed for throwing their wickets and the approach of the batting line-up has come under further scrutiny with poor shot selections and strategies as typical once again rearing their ugly heads in the case of India’s batsmen
The worrying trend of batting failures has followed the team from the start of the series. After suffering humiliating batting collapse in first test, Indian being bowled out for 46 runs, it has still Prescott’s expectations in the performance of the team in Pune. By a formidable Kiwi spin attack, the Indian batsmen were undisciplined as in their first outing in New Zealand during their first test in Bengaluru.
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After dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Santner was in the hunt and rather enjoying it. The Indian batsmen, who were always successful in decent home conditions, were clueless as to how to bat on the turning pitch and make optimal choices in the field at key moments, and thus fell like a pack of cards again.
All three reasons behind the disappointing scoreline were Virat Kohli’s hasty swipe, Rishabh Pant’s overexcitement to put away an offering that was too good, and powered, and annoying strokes by Sarfaraz Khan. Of note was Kohli’s dismissal who, bowled off a full toss, was a sad story about the batting of a team that is so devoid of any rhythm at the moment.
In contrast, however, New Zealand’s resilience was apparent. They patiently built their innings on the same wicket, which saw them finish the day with their score at 198 for 5 which ultimately increased their lead to 301 overall. The Indian spinners were clearly disturbed by their rotation strategy and their innovative stroke making. In their first innings, New Zealand amassed 259 runs and performed even better in the second innings which places them in the perfect position to win a series in India for the very first time in 12 years.
As the series goes on, the onus will be on India to alter their style of batting. The home side, who has always been strong on the back of their home conditions, needs to pull themselves together quickly. With the pitch assisting spinners and India in a do-or-die situation, the fourth innings should be quite the task for them. The fans will be expecting an even more resounding comeback than before, but as it is, New Zealand has outperformed expectations for this match with a commendable display of how to adapt and flourish in adverse conditions. The batting problems of the Indian team have only revealed their lack of strength in the face of quality spinner, and unless they come up with an answer for it immediately, they might suffer an embarrassing defeat in the series.
