Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has called for introspection after the hosts suffered a 0-3 Test series defeat to New Zealand after losing the third match at the Wankhede Stadium by 25 runs on Sunday. As a result of the loss in Mumbai, Rohit Sharma-led India also lost their top spot in the World Test Championship standings and dropped to second place behind new toppers Australia.
“Losing 3-0 at home is a tough pill to swallow, and it requires introspection. Was it a lack of preparation, was it poor shot selection or was it a lack of match practice? Shubman Gill showed resilience in the first innings, and Rishabh Pant was brilliant in both innings; his footwork made a challenging surface look completely different. He was simply fantastic.
Losing 3-0 at home is a tough pill to swallow and requires introspection.
Was it a lack of preparation, was it poor shot selection or was it a lack of match practice? @ShubmanGill showed resilience in the first innings, and @RishabhPant17 was brilliant in both innings – his… pic.twitter.com/8f1WifI5Hd— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 3, 2024
“All credit goes to New Zealand for their consistent performance throughout the series. Winning 3-0 in India is the best result possible,” Tendulkar wrote on X.
The defeat to New Zealand was the first time India had recorded a clean sheet at home in a Test series since beating South Africa 2-0 in 1999/2000. It is also the first ever 3-0 defeat for India at home in a three-match series onwards.
What also became a big factor in India's series loss was that 37 of the 57 wickets they lost to New Zealand bowlers were to the spinners, something that drew criticism from the hosts from former opener Virender Sehwag.
“While as supporters it is absolutely necessary to support the team, this has been a terrible performance by our team. The ability to play spin definitely needs an upgrade and some experiments are good for the shorter format, but in Test cricket doing some unnecessary experiments just for the purpose was bad indeed.
“Congratulations to Tom Latham and his New Zealand boys for doing what is a dream for any visiting team and that no other can achieve like this,” Sehwag wrote on his Instagram post.
Former India left-arm pace all-rounder Irfan Pathan spoke about the lack of red-ball cricket batters who have played in domestic cricket, citing a conversation he had with his elder brother and ex-cricketer Yusuf Pathan.
“Had a good conversation with Yusuf (Pathan) yesterday. He made a valid point about domestic cricket: we play on grass pitches or flat courts, but rarely on turning surfaces anymore. Moreover, top players do not play domestic cricket. This could hurt us in the long run,” Pathan wrote about 'X'.
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh called on the Test side to bat on better pitches at home, urging them not to play on spinning pitches. “Turning fields becomes your own enemy. Congratulations NZ, you beat us. Been saying it for many years. Team India needs to play on better pitches. These spinning deliveries make every batsman look very ordinary.
“Earlier generations of batsmen never played on these kinds of numbers. These courts are prepared for test matches of 2/3 days. You don't need Murli, Warne or Saqi on these pitches to get the teams out. Anyone can take anyone out,” he wrote on X.
Batsman's from previous generations never played on these types of tracks. These courts are prepared for test matches of 2/3 days. You don't need Murli, Warne or Saqi on these pitches to get the teams out. Anyone can take anyone out https://t.co/xJynSAfDqS
— Harbhajan Turban (@harbhajan_singh) November 3, 2024
India only have the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia left in their 2023-2025 WTC cycle assignments. The five-match Test series will be played from November 22 to January 7, 2025 in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
If India want to reach their third consecutive World Test Championship final, they need at least four wins in Australia. They will also have to rely on the results of other series going in their favor to participate in the WTC final, which will be held at Lord's next year.
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