The Indian cricket team is facing heavy criticism after losing the Test series at home to New Zealand in Pune. The visiting side are 2-0 ahead after the first two Tests in the three-match series, with the chance of a clean sweep not being ruled out. This is the first time in 12 years that India has lost a Test series at home. The last time this happened, MS Dhoni was the captain of the Indian cricket team. The loss has also dented India's chances of qualifying for the final of the World Test Championship.
The focus is on Rohit Sharma and co. as India gears up for the third Test starting on November 1 in Mumbai. During the second innings of the second Test. Established batsman Sarfaraz Khan, who has scored a ton in the first Test, was sent at number 7 while all-rounder Washington Sundar was sent above him. This move was criticized by former India star Sanjay Manjrekar.
“That move to have Sarfaraz Khan break the order and have Washington Sundar in front of him, that kind of thing should not happen. It's bizarre, things like that Rohit Sharma has to be careful about. I mean the kind of T20 thinking. matchups, left right,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo.
About India's next Tour of Australia, Manjrekar said it is worrying. “Yes, it is a cause for concern. But fortunately, the challenges will be different when they go there,” Manjrekar said.
In the match, New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat. Half-centuries from Devon Conway (76 off 141 balls, with 11 fours) and Rachin Ravindra (65 off 105 balls, with five fours and a six) put New Zealand in a leading position at 197/3, with Ravichandran Ashwin (3/ 41) was the only bowler to impress early on. After Conway's dismissal, Washington Sundar (7/59) took advantage of the momentum to dismiss the remaining batsmen to bowl out New Zealand for 259.
India faced the task of overcoming this modest total to gain a substantial lead. However, after Rohit Sharma's dismissal for a duck, youngsters Shubman Gill (30 off 72 balls, with two fours and a six) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30 off 60 balls, with four boundaries) could only manage a partnership of 49 runs . Just like in the first innings, Gill's dismissal opened the doors for Mitchell Santner, who wreaked havoc in the Indian line-up. Santner (7/53) and Glenn Phillips (2/26) bowled India out for just 156, with Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring with 38 off 46 balls (three fours and two sixes).
In their second innings, New Zealand took advantage of their 103-run lead. With a valuable 86 from skipper Tom Latham (133 balls, 10 fours), along with contributions from Phillips (48 off 82 balls, four boundaries, two sixes) and Tom Blundell (41 off 83 balls, three fours), the visitors put India set a target of 359 runs, bowled out for 255 after some impressive bowling in the first session of day three.
Sundar (4/56) led the attack, while Jadeja (3/72) and Ashwin (2/97) blazed through the lower middle order and tail.
Chasing 359, India started strongly with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal sharing a 62-run partnership with Shubman Gill (23 off 31 balls, four boundaries). However, after Jaiswal's dismissal for 77 off 65 balls (nine fours, three sixes), India could not recover, succumbing to the Kiwi spinners and were bowled out for 245, resulting in a 113-run defeat.
With ANI inputs