New Delhi: New Zealand put up a blistering performance to beat India, and put a halt to India’s undefeated run at home since 2012. Cricket pudits clearly blaming the host’s poor batting performance. But this was not the first time that India’s batters struggled to make an impact , whether in home or overseas. The clamour intensified as India’s unbeaten streak of 18 home series wins came to an end.
The batters, who mastered the art of playing spin, were taken aback by Kiwi spinner Mitchell Santner on Pune rank turner with 13 wickets in the match.
India’s top order in Test cricket boasts of some of the best batters in the world, who can be a nightmare for any bowling line up any given day. However, their dominance, once a key strength of the team, appears to be waning with each series.
Yet , India have been able to produce results in their favor courtesy of the ability of the lower middle order, which bail the team out of trouble waters whenever needed.
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Rohit and Kohli’s poor batting display against the Kiwis
Since 2022, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have faced a dip in their form in Test Cricket. Rohit has accumulated 1,194 runs in 20 matches at an average of 34.11, while Kohli has managed to score 1,181 runs in 19 matches with a slightly better average of 35.78. Both players, known for their remarkable consistency in the past, have seen their batting performances fall short of expectations, struggling to convert starts into big scores.
Former Indian Cricketer Aakash Chopra has also raised concerns about Kohli’s form. He pointed out that Kohli has scored just two centuries in Test cricket over the past five years, with one of those coming on a flat track at Ahmedabad.
What went wrong for India against the Blackcaps
The lower middle order which has been at the forefront for India for quite some time endured a rare failure against New Zealand in the first two tests of the three- match series, resulting in India’s first series loss for more than two years. Since their defeat against South Africa in 2021-2022 series, India had played 6 test series, wining six and drawing 2.
What Ashwin and Jadeja have done with the bat was not originally the primary role they were brought int the team for. However, their consistency with the ball has been pivotal in maintaining India’s Home winning streak for 12 years, ensuring crucial victories across multiple series.
But the pair failed to capitalize on a spin friendly surface that contributed to India’s first test series defeat in over a decade.
However, Rohit stood by the spin duo saying ” They know that. There’s too much pressure and expectations on those two guys”, Rohit said after the series loss. “Every game they play, they are expected to take wickets, run through (opposition) team and win Test matches for us. I don’t think that’s fair”.
