India’s humiliating clean sweep at home against New Zealand has sparked a heated debate over the quality of pitches and the form of the team’s star batters. The historic loss has raised questions about the team’s preparation for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
After dominating the Kiwis in the first Test, India suffered a shocking collapse in the second and third Tests. The visitors’ spinners, led by Ajaz Patel, exploited the turning tracks to devastating effect, dismissing India for 121 in the third Test.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has defended the team’s batters, arguing that the pitches were designed to assist spinners and that any bowler could have achieved similar results. He pointed out that previous generations of batters never played on such challenging surfaces.
However, fans and experts have criticized the Indian batters for their poor technique and lack of application against spin. They argue that the team’s reliance on individual brilliance has cost them dearly.
Captain Rohit Sharma has taken full responsibility for the team’s debacle, acknowledging that they made several mistakes and were outplayed by New Zealand. He has vowed to address the team’s shortcomings before the Australia tour.
The clean sweep has raised concerns about India’s chances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The team will need to find a way to counter Australia’s formidable pace attack and adapt to the bouncy pitches Down Under.
The loss has also highlighted the need for India to develop a more balanced batting lineup. While Rishabh Pant has been a consistent performer, the team needs other batters to step up and contribute.
As India prepares for the Australia tour, the team will be under immense pressure to bounce back from this disappointing result. They will need to find a way to improve their batting, bowling, and fielding if they want to challenge the world’s top-ranked Test team.
