India’s shock defeat to New Zealand in the Bengaluru Test has raised concerns over the effectiveness of veteran spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on home soil. Ashwin managed only one wicket in both innings, while Jadeja picked up three.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch offered some assistance to spinners, but it was insufficient for Ashwin and Jadeja to dominate the match. Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that pressure will now be on curators to provide more spin-friendly surfaces.
Manjrekar argues that if the next two Tests favor pacers, India’s seamers may benefit, but New Zealand’s pacers will likely exploit the conditions even better. He emphasizes the need for rank-turners to make life easier for India’s spinners.
India skipper Rohit Sharma admitted to misreading the pitch, resulting in India’s disastrous first innings total of 46. Despite a strong batting performance in the second innings, India’s spinners, along with New Zealand’s, conceded a significant number of runs.
With India trailing 0-1 in the three-Test series, the upcoming matches in Pune and Mumbai are likely to feature surfaces that offer more assistance to spinners. Manjrekar remains confident in India’s ability to make a comeback, but stresses the importance of spin-friendly pitches.
