Tag: India vs New Zealand

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma came under fire Monday as India chewed over a 3-0 Test series home defeat to New Zealand, with critics calling the team ageing and low on confidence.

The cricket superpower went down by 25 runs on Sunday in the third Test inside three days at Mumbai for only their second series whitewash at home. It sealed New Zealand’s historic first-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil.

For India there is little time to fix things — they travel to Australia for a five-match Test series starting on November 22.

“Losing 3-0 at home is a tough pill to swallow and it calls for introspection,” former skipper Sachin Tendulkar wrote on social media.

“Was it lack of preparation, was it poor shot selection or was it lack of match practice?”

India went into the series against the Black Caps second in the ICC Test rankings, behind Australia, and as clear favourites.

But repeated batting collapses — they were 46 all out in their first innings in the opening Test — set alarm bells ringing. It hardly got much better from there.

“I accept the fact that we were not good enough with the bat in the entire series,” said skipper Rohit Sharma.

It particularly showed the Indian batsmen’s surprising inability to handle spinners on turning pitches in their own backyard.

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Mitchell Santner took 13 wickets in the second match while Mumbai-born New Zealander Ajaz Patel took 11 in the third Test to condemn India.

With Australia looming large, the form of 37-year-old Rohit and superstar batsman Kohli, 35, is of particular concern to Indian cricket fans. Rohit made 91 runs in three matches. Kohli is just 93.

“The cold fact is that this is now a team in transition with key figures ageing, out of form and low on confidence,” the Times of India newspaper wrote.

“Two of their stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, seem to be in a state of terminal batting decline with a strange reluctance to acknowledge it and take corrective action like polishing their game by playing in domestic cricket,” it added.

Indian media reported that all senior players, including Rohit and Kohli, had been advised to play the domestic Duleep Trophy four-day matches, but the players refused due to a “lack of motivation”.

“They should have had some practice, definitely,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told the Indian Express.

“I know we beat Bangladesh and therefore it looked as if it was going to be a cakewalk against New Zealand,” Gavaskar added.

“But New Zealand, obviously, had a better attack, with cricketers who have played in India and in the IPL, who have a sense of what Indian pitches do.”

Rohit and Kohli retired from T20 cricket after the team’s World Cup triumph in June.

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, 38, and Ravindra Jadeja, 35, also suddenly look like age is catching up with them, critics said.

READ: Pakistan can beat India in Test: Wasim Akram after New Zealand’s 3-0 win

India head coach Gautam Gambhir blamed T20 cricket for the team’s recent struggles in Test cricket ahead of the third and final match against New Zealand.

The Black Caps sealed their first-ever Test series victory on Indian soil last week in Pune and are now chasing a 3-0 sweep in the final match starting Friday at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

India’s famed batting line-up, led by skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, has flopped in the series including the hosts’ 46 all out in the first innings of the opening Test.

Gambhir attributed the poor showing to an attacking 20-over mindset, at the expense of the conservative posture needed for long spells at the crease.

“The foundation of your batting in Test cricket has to be defence,” said Gambhir. “Probably a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 cricket,” he added.

“We will have the same issues with a lot of other teams as well because the more T20 cricket is played, the less people will start defending.”

New Zealand beat India at their own game of spin for a 113-run victory in the second Test with Mitchell Santner returning a match haul of 13 wickets.

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Gautam Gambhir rejected accusations by pundits that India had lost the ability to counter spin attacks from other teams.

“I don’t think so, sometimes you got to give it to the opposition as well,” Gambhir told reporters.

“I think Mitchell Santner was outstanding in the last game, but yes, we’ll keep working hard. We’ll keep getting better. That’s about it.

“Guys are putting a lot of hard yards in the nets. Yes, ultimately it’s the results that matter when you’re playing international cricket, but I don’t think that our skill against spin has actually gone down.”

India lost the second match inside three days to suffer their first home series loss in 12 years and end a streak of 18 series wins at home in the period.

The final Test will be India’s last before they head for their all-important tour of Australia starting with the first of five Tests on November 22 in Perth. Gambhir said his men were determined not to gift New Zealand a clean sweep.

“Every time you lose a game, be it at home or be it away from home, it should hurt. That hurt will make us better,” he said.

“For me, it’s good that World Test Championship points are important and there are no dead rubbers any more in Test cricket. We should try and win this Test match so that we go to Australia with a win under our belt.”

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New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel said Wednesday that returning to his birthplace Mumbai after his 10-wicket haul there three years ago made for an “emotional” homecoming ahead of the third Test against India.

The Black Caps sealed a first-ever Test series victory on Indian soil last week in Pune and are now chasing a 3-0 sweep in the final match starting Friday at Wankhede Stadium.

In December 2021 at the same venue, Ajaz became only the third bowler in Test history to take all 10 wickets in an innings.

New Zealand lost the match but Ajaz Patel joined an elite company alongside England off-spinner Jim Laker (1956 at Old Trafford) and Indian spin ace Anil Kumble (1999 in Delhi).

“Certainly emotional,” Ajaz, 36, told reporters. “I guess being back in Mumbai is always quite special and it’s a place I call home as well. Having the opportunity to play out here again is quite special.”

He added: “To be honest, after my 10-wicket haul I wasn’t sure whether I’d get another opportunity to play out here again.”

New Zealand beat India at their own game of spin for a 113-run victory in the second Test on a turning Pune pitch.

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Ajaz’s fellow left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner excelled with a match haul of 13 wickets as top Indian batters including skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli flopped.

But Ajaz, who made his Test debut in 2018 after moving to Auckland from Mumbai with his parents, said India still remain the favourites.

“I think India still have the wood on us when it comes to playing on turning wickets and traditionally the Indian batters have I guess done well on turning surfaces,” said Ajaz.

“Obviously they haven’t had maybe as much success as they would have liked in this series so far, but they’re certainly an opposition that are very, very skilled and not the easiest to come up against.”

India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said the home team’s knowledge of the surface will help them counter New Zealand at Wankhede.

“We have to give a lot of credit to New Zealand, the way they have played and the way they have countered spin,” he said.

“A lot of the guys have played a lot of local cricket here and the understanding of what these conditions are and how the pitch is going to pan out.”

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India skipper Rohit Sharma said Saturday he would not put undue pressure on his team despite going down to New Zealand and losing a first home Test series for 12 years.

New Zealand thrashed India by 113 runs in Pune to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series — the Black Caps’ first-ever series win on Indian soil.

For India, it was their first home series defeat since Alastair Cook’s England edged them 2-1 in December 2012.

“I am not going to react differently,” Rohit Sharma told reporters. “Look at the games that we have won in India. There are more good things that have happened than bad.

“I don’t want to create that environment where people start doubting themselves, taking unnecessary pressure. Of course you will lose a series here and there,” he added.

“I don’t need to open a medical kit and start doing different things. It’s important to understand that this team has done some wonderful things in the past.”

Tom Latham’s men ended India’s record of 18 consecutive bilateral home series wins after the tourists bowled out India for 245 in their chase of 359.

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India suffered batting collapses in this series including 46 all out in the opener and then 156 in the first innings of the second match.

Their spin attack was also outshone by New Zealand’s slow bowlers, led by Mitchell Santner.

“I think we didn’t play well enough in these two games and that is hurting,” said Rohit.

“It is a collective failure from the bowlers and the batters, so if you lose a Test match, it is not just because of one particular thing, it is just the entire unit collectively failing.”

Santner returned a match haul of 13 wickets with his left-arm spin to flatten the opposition who were batting on a turning pitch laid out to assist the home spinners.

New Zealand batters stood out as they played spin with aplomb including Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) in the first innings.

“A few key things we wanted to do and one of them was to fire a shot at India,” said Latham.

“Try and play a little more of attacking brand, because we know how good India are in these conditions and we wanted to put them under a bit of pressure, and I think we have done that in the last couple of games.”

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PUNE: Mitchell Santner returned astonishing match figures of 13/157 and steered New Zealand to a convincing 113-run victory over India in the second Test here at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.

The victory meant New Zealand secured their first-ever Test series victory over India in India. They outclassed the dominant hosts by eight wickets in the opening fixture.

Set to chase 359, India only managed 245 despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s half-century up the order and Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty knock at the backend.

The home side, once again got off to a shaky start as their out-of-form captain Rohit Sharma departed after scoring just eight.

Jaiswal then knitted a crucial second-wicket partnership with Shubman Gill as the duo attempted to anchor the run chase.

The pair added 52 runs for the second wicket until Santner broke the budding partnership by dismissing Gill on 23.

Jaiswal was then involved in another important partnership for India when he added 31 runs for the third wicket with Virat Kohli.

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The stand took the hosts past the 100-run mark but red-hot Santner inflicted a gruelling middle-order collapse, which marked the ouster of their mainstay Jaiswal, and reduced India to 167/7.

Jaiswal remained the top-scorer for India with a 65-ball 77 with the help of a dozen boundaries including three sixes.

Ravindra Jadeja then offered some fightback with a gutsy 42-run knock but his efforts were not enough to steer India to a miraculous victory.

Mitchell Santner led the bowling charge for New Zealand with six wickets, followed by Ajaz Patel with two wickets. Glenn Phillips struck once.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand resumed their second innings from 198/5, with a massive 301-run lead, but skittled for 255 all out despite a steady start.

Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips started brilliantly as they stretched their overnight partnership to almost fifty before Jadeja sneaked through Blundell’s defence and bowled him on 41.

His dismissal sparked a lower middle-order collapse and the touring side could add 24 more runs for the loss of their remaining four wickets, leaving Phillips stranded on 48.

For India, Washington Sundar bagged four wickets, followed by Ravindra Jadeja with three while Ashwin took two.

READ: Spinners give Pakistan first Test series win at home after three years

PUNE: Tom Latham scored an anchoring half-century after Mitchell Santner dismantled the strong India batting unit to put New Zealand in a commanding position on the second day of the second Test here at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.

At the Stumps on Day 2, New Zealand had accumulated 198/5 in their second innings, leading India by a massive 301 runs.

The New Zealand captain played an instrumental role in asserting dominance over the struggling hosts, courtesy of his gritty 86-run knock, featuring 10 boundaries.

Latham dominated the Indian bowlers until the in-form Washington Sundar managed to breach his defences and trapped him lbw to give India a bit of relief.

But Glenn Phillips batted sensibly alongside wicketkeeper batter Tom Blundell for an unbeaten 16-run stand for the sixth wicket to avoid any stir.

Sundar, who bagged seven wickets in the first innings, once again troubled New Zealand batters and made four scalps, registering his maiden 10-wicket match haul. He was supported by fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took one wicket.

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Earlier in the day, India resumed their first innings from 16/1 through youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who pushed their total to 50 until Mitchell Santner removed Gill on 30.

Santner then added further to the misery of the home side by claiming the prized scalp of Virat Kohli (1).

Phillips supported Santner by picking two quick wickets, dismissing Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant as India slipped further to 83/5.

Mitchell Santner then ran through India’s lower middle order and thus booked them on a meagre total to strengthen New Zealand’s command.

He returned sensational bowling figures of 7/53, followed by Phillips with two wickets, while Tim Southee made one scalp.

Remember, New Zealand lead the three-match series 1-0 as they stunned India by eight wickets in the opening match.

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PUNE: Washington Sundar returned magnificent bowling figures on return as India bowled out New Zealand on 259 on the opening day of the second Test here at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Thursday.

New Zealand had a shaky start to their innings as they lost their captain Tom Latham (15), who fell victim to Ravichandran Ashwin in the eighth over with just 32 runs on the board.

In-form Devon Conway then joined forces with Will Young and launched a recovery.

The duo added 44 runs for the second wicket until Ashwin struck again to get rid of Young on 18.

Conway was then involved in another important partnership for New Zealand when he added 62 runs for the third wicket with Rachin Ravindra.

The budding partnership threatened India but Ashwin, fuelled with momentum, made a timely strike to keep momentum in the home side’s favour by dismissing set batter Conway.

The left-handed batter remained the top-scorer for New Zealand with a cautious 76, which featured 11 boundaries.

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Ravindra then took the reigns of New Zealand’s batting expedition and put together a 59-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell until getting cleaned up by Sundar.

He remained a notable contributor to New Zealand’s total with a gutsy half-century, scoring 65 with the help of six boundaries including a six.

Sundar then ran through New Zealand’s batting tail and booked them on a modest total despite a gutsy 33-run knock down the order by Mitchell Santner.

Washington Sundar was the standout bowler for India, picking up seven wickets, while Ashwin bagged three.

India had a turbulent start to their innings as skipper Rohit Sharma fell for a nine-ball duck, courtesy of a squaring delivery by veteran New Zealand pacer Tim Southee.

The early jolted India’s reply but youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill did well to bat through the remaining eight overs and pushed India’s total to 16/1 at the Stumps.

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Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach of India, on Tuesday expressed hope that wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant will achieve full fitness ahead of the second Test against New Zealand.

Pant made a valiant 99 in the opening loss to the Kiwis, marking the visitors’ first Test victory in India since 1988.

But while keeping wickets, he hurt the same knee that was operated on after a serious car crash in December 2022 that sidelined him for more than a year.

His fitness remains in focus as the hosts look to level the three-match series in the Test starting Thursday in Pune.

“Rishabh’s pretty good,” Ryan ten Doeschate told reporters. “He was having a little bit of discomfort at the end range of his movement with the knee. But fingers crossed he’ll be good to keep in this Test as well.”

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Rishabh Pant, 27, has made a remarkable comeback from the night his Mercedes rammed into a barrier, flipped and caught fire near New Delhi.

He was left with a damaged ligament in his right knee, a hurt wrist and ankle and abrasions to his back, and laboured through an intensive rehabilitation programme.

India were bowled out for 46 in the opening match before Pant helped lead the fightback in a 177-run partnership with Sarfaraz Khan, who hit 150 after coming in for Shubman Gill.

Sarfaraz’s first Test ton has left India weighing a problem of plenty, with Gill set to return in the second match and management backing senior batsman KL Rahul, who has struggled with patchy batting form.

“There’s certainly no concerns about KL,” said ten Doeschate. “He’s batting nicely, he’s in a good mental space, but yeah, we’re certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what’s going to be best for the team.”

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BENGALURU: A dramatic batting collapse on Day 4 of the first Test, saw India bowled out on 462 after Sarfaraz Khan’s marathon knock as New Zealand set to chase a modest total.

Set to chase a meagre target, New Zealand captain Tom Latham and Devon Conway came out to bat in the dying minutes of an action-packed day of the opening Test but only managed to bat four deliveries and scored no runs as bad light forced an early closure.

Earlier in the day, the home side resumed their second innings at 231/3, through fifty-up Sarfaraz and unmarked wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant.

The duo dominated New Zealand bowlers and scored at a brisk rate amid their 177-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

The Kiwi bowlers, who had been at the receiving end since the start of the penultimate day, saw a change in fortune after the second new ball was taken.

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Experienced pacer Tim Southee made the most of the new ball and got rid of threatening Sarfaraz soon after the latter amassed the 150-run mark.

Young pacer William O’Rourke bolstered New Zealand’s comeback with the ball by dismissing the other set batter, Rishabh Pant.

Pant had an agonizing end to his brilliant knock as he was cleaned up on 99.

The back-to-back dismissals triggered a dramatic collapse as the home side lost their remaining five wickets and could add 29 more runs to the total.

Matt Henry and O’Rourke co-led New Zealand’s bowling charge in the second innings against India with three wickets each.

Ajaz Patel contributed with two wickets while Southee and Glenn Phillips made one scalp apiece.

READ: Virat Kohli becomes slowest Indian batter to score 9000 Test runs

BENGALURU: India’s star batter Virat Kohli on Friday, became only the fourth Indian batter to accumulate 9000 runs in Test cricket.

The right-handed batter achieved the milestone, courtesy of his 31st half-century during the ongoing rain-hit opening Test against New Zealand.

Consequently, Virat Kohli joined an illustrious list of Indian batters, featuring the likes of batting great Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.

The 35-year-old, however, is the slowest of them all, taking 197 innings.

Indian Batters To Score 9000 Runs in Tests

Rahul Dravid – 176 innings in 2006
Sachin Tendulkar- 179 innings in 2004
Sunil Gavaskar – 192 innings in 1985
Virat Kohli – 196 innings in 2024*

Meanwhile, Kohli played a pivotal role in leading India’s fightback against New Zealand in the rain-hit fixture, which earlier saw them succumb to their lowest Test total at home in the first innings.

India got to 231/3 at Stumps, trailing New Zealand by 125 runs after Glenn Phillips dismissed Virat Kohli on the final delivery of the day.

The home side got off to a steady start as Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Rohit Sharma added 72 runs for the first wicket.

The opening stand lasted when Ajaz Patel got Jaiswal stumped on an anchoring 35, which featured six boundaries.

Rohit, known for his aggressive strokeplay, soon raced to his half-century in 59 balls but failed to convert it into a big knock as he too, fell victim to Patel.

He struck eight fours and a six on his way to a 63-ball 52.

India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli was then joined by young Sarfaraz Khan and the duo unleashed the demolition of New Zealand bowlers with a marathon stand, which yielded 136 runs.

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For New Zealand, Ajaz Patel bagged two wickets while Phillps had one to his name.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand resumed their first innings at 180/3 with Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, unbeaten on 22 and 14 respectively.

The duo, however, could add 13 runs to their overnight partnership as Mohammed Siraj got rid of Mitchell, who managed 18.

The visitors lost three more wickets in quick succession and had slipped to 233/7 but an astounding eighth-wicket partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Tim Southee set New Zealand to amass a massive total.

The pair frustrated Indian bowlers and added 147 runs for the eighth wicket until Siraj finally sent Southee packing after a defiant 65 with the help of five fours and four sixes.

Meanwhile, Rachin Ravindra was the last man to be dismissed as New Zealand were booked on 402.

Ravindra remained the top-scorer for the BlackCaps with a sensible 134, peppered with 13 fours and four sixes.

Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav bagged three wickets each, followed by Siraj with two, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin shared two between them.

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