India suffered its first-ever home Test series defeat in 12 years, against New Zealand and many cricket analysts are coming forward about the reasons behind Rohit Sharma and his team’s shocking defeat at the hands of New Zealand. India lost the second Test in Pune by 113 runs, giving the Black Caps a dominant 2-0 lead in the series.
Loss Against NZ: A Big Upset For India
On Day 3, the Indian batting lineup caved dramatically to the spinning conditions of Pune and the bowling capability of Mitchell Santner. The left-arm spinner got 13 wickets over the match, and notably claimed the scalp of Virat Kohli twice, making him the first leg-spinner ever to have done so in a Test match.
AB de Villiers Defends Team India
Former South African skipper AB de Villiers was vocal on India’s defeat, saying the feeling that Indian players are used to playing against spin more or less holds good is actually a perception than fact. While answering a fan question, the Proteas icon commented that India took a great gamble by getting a turning wicket. He applauded the New Zealand team for making all the right tactical moves and answering the challenges given by the Indian team.
Indian Players Great In Tackling Spin
“When you go to India, Indian players are the best players of spin, it is perceived to be, doesn’t always mean that it is a fact that all the batters are the best players of spin in the world. When you get a turning wicket and you get a good bowler, no matter how good of a player you are, you will be under pressure. If the batter has got the mind and skill and the ability, you can score runs in any conditions in the world,” said AB de Villiers on his YouTube channel.
According to AB de Villiers even though Team India could not tackle spin that doesn’t mean there is something wrong, the players are still incredible.
“There is nothing wrong with the Indian players, they are incredible players, all of them and they can play spin. But I think a lot of teams have caught up and that perception of when you go to India, those times are gone. The 90s and early 200s are gone, when you are just a walking wicket in certain conditions. Look at Virat Kohli, he has scored 100s in South Africa as well,” he added.
India Took A Big Risk In 2nd Test
“Well, they lost the toss in the second Test. I think they took a big risk by really making sure that the wicket turns a lot from start to finish. With that, when you play against a street-smart team, guys like Glenn Phillips, no one thought of him as a spinner, but fiery spin right at the wickets quick, doesn’t matter if you are a part-time spinner, you are in the match. Especially when you have batted first and got the runs, the pressure is on the team batting second. That is a risk that India took by making a dry wicket and they wanted to play New Zealand on their terms,” said de Villiers.
Toss: A Very Crucial Aspect Of Game
“But the problem with that is when you lose the toss and the opposition gets a good enough total, you are always under pressure. On this occasion, I felt New Zealand had all the answers, in the bowling department especially. They had answers to all questions, even the seam bowlers played their role,” he added.
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India’s chances of making it to the final of the World Test Championship are precarious as they have now been left with winning four out of their six remaining matches to qualify. New Zealand is the last opposition India will face in the third and final Test at Wankhede Stadium on November 1.
