New Delhi: New Zealand thumped India by 25 runs in the 3rd Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday to become the first team to whitewash India 3-0 in a three-match Test series at home. The Tom Latham-led side enjoyed an epoch-making historic run throughout the three-match rubber as they not only ended India’s long-standing home dominance in the longest format but also gave the hosts an eye-opening reality check ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Asked to chase 147 runs in their second innings, India suffered another terrible batting collapse as the Indian support staff watched on from the dressing room, their expressions revealing the whole story. Ajaz Patel picked up a six-wicket haul to run through the hosts’ batting line-up as they were bundled out for 121 runs to eventually fall short of the target.
Rishabh Pant waged a lone battle with his fighting 64 but his efforts were not enough to get over the line in the tricky chase on a weared-down turning track as India succumbed to their first home Test series whitewash in 91 years. It was a humiliating defeat for the hosts, who were at full strength and went down against a New Zealand that headed into the three-match series on the back of a 2-0 drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka.
Having already conceded the series after back-to-back defeats in the first two Test matches, India were expected to bounce back strongly in Mumbai. But with spinners once again getting assistance from the track which had a significant turn on offer, the Indian batters were found wanting. From poor batting to shambolic tactics, a lot went wrong for India throughout the series culminating in a series defeat that wouldn’t be easy to forget for the hosts soon.
A look at what went wrong for India in 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand?
1) Woeful tactical decisions
India made some horrendous decisions and tactical blunders right from the first Test of the three-match series in Bengaluru. The decision to bat first in overcast conditions and play three spinners on a pitch assisting the spinners cost India the 1st Test. India opted for a turning track in Pune and were left exposed against spin as the batters failed to hold the fort with Mitchell Santner running riot.
Santner picked up 13 of the 20 wickets that fell across India’s two innings to end India’s hopes of levelling the series as he spun New Zealand to a historic maiden Test series victory on Indian soil. Despite their dramatic collapse against spin in Pune, India took a huge gamble and asked for a rank turner to be prepared in Mumbai.
Despite missing Santner, New Zealand spinners went on to make a mockery of the Indian batting line-up as Azaj Patel picked up a fifer apiece in both innings. The left-arm finished with a match haul of 11 wickets to turn the match in his side’s favour and helped New Zealand script history by becoming the first team to clean-sweep India 3-0 in a three-match Test series at home.
2) Poor batting
India’s batting was disastrous, to say the least right from the onset of the Test series. From 46 all out in overcast conditions to 156 all out on a turning track in Pune, Indian batters never looked convincing throughout the series. Barring Sarfaraz Khan’s 150 in the series opener in Bengaluru and Rishabh Pant’s audacious knocks in the 1st and 3rd Test, no other batter looked in control.
Despite being humbled in Pune where they fell like a pack of cards against spinners, the Indian batters didn’t seem to have learnt their lessons as they collapsed against spin once again in Mumbai, failing to help the hosts avoid a crushing whitewash. From skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to Sarfaraz, every batter failed to deliver when required.
3) Seniors failing to stand up
The spotlight was on the seniors through the Test series after India were bowled out for 46 runs in Bengaluru. However, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to turn up. The duo were walking wickets for the Kiwis, who kept dismissing them cheaply one innings after another to ensure India never gained control in the three-match series.
Kohli finished the series with 93 runs from six innings while Rohit could only muster 91 runs in the three matches. Both batters managed a half-century apiece, but barring the solitary knocks were all but absent for India in pressure situations. In fact, their failures contributed to the increased pressure on the others, resulting in the painful 0-3 whitewash.
4) India’s woes against spin
India’s woes against spin were left exposed in the three-match Test series. India, who were once considered one of the best teams against spin, saw their batters struggle massively against the likes of Mitchell Santner and Azaj Patel. While the likes of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill have struggled against spin for a while now, the others too saw their miseries getting exposed by the Kiwis.
Despite having scored heaps of runs in domestic cricket in similar conditions, Sarfaraz was found out while the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin too couldn’t do much. The decision to play the last two Tests on turning tracks came back to haunt India courtesy of the lack of skills of their own batters against spin, costing them the series.
