India’s dominance at home is under threat as they face the prospect of a historic whitewash against New Zealand in the third and final Test in Mumbai. The Kiwis have already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead, putting India’s top spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) table in jeopardy.
The defeats in Bengaluru and Pune have exposed the fragility of India’s batting lineup, with key players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma failing to deliver. This has raised concerns about India’s ability to qualify for the WTC final, which requires a top-two finish in the 2023-25 cycle.
Former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali believes that the Indian batsmen need to step up and score runs in the Mumbai Test. He emphasized the importance of Kohli and Sharma finding form, as well as other batsmen like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, and KL Rahul.
Ali also suggested that India should consider playing a spin-heavy lineup on a turning track at the Wankhede Stadium. He believes that this would test the New Zealand batting, especially if left-armer Mitchell Santner is able to exploit the conditions.
While the New Zealand spinners have been impressive, Ali praised the performances of their left-handed batsmen, Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra, and Devon Conway. He believes that India will need to do their homework and come up with a plan to counter their threat.
A win in the Mumbai Test is crucial for India’s morale ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. A 3-0 whitewash at home would put them in a difficult position when they travel Down Under.
