NEW DELHI: India faced another defeat in the second Test match against New Zealand, losing by 113 runs in Pune on October 26. This follows their first Test loss to New Zealand on October 16.
This series defeat marks India’s first at home since 2012. Despite the setback, India remains at the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings, with a percentage of points won (PCT) at 62.82, followed closely by Australia with a PCT of 62.5.
For India to maintain their lead, they will now need to win 4 out of their remaining 6 matches. Australia won the previous WTC 2021-23 cycle.
The third and final Test in the series against New Zealand will be played in Mumbai on November 1.
New Zealand scored 259 and 255 runs in their two innings, with captain Tom Latham making a resilient 86 in the second innings. In response, India scored 156 in their first innings, with Ravindra Jadeja top-scoring at 38. In the second innings, they were bowled out for 245, despite strong efforts by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
Mitchell Santner was instrumental for New Zealand, taking seven wickets, including key players like Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.
Captain Rohit Sharma commented on the loss, saying, “Sometimes, if you're winning so many matches and doing so well consistently, the things you wish to do may not come off in the odd series. What we wanted to achieve in this series didn’t work out for our batters. But I don’t doubt anyone's ability; these are the same batters who have won us many matches and series over recent years.”
He added, "I don’t want to do too much post-mortem, but we can consider how to approach these situations differently. All our batters need to plan and trust those plans. It's one thing if it doesn't work, but you need to trust it."
Cricket fans have expressed particular disappointment with key players who struggled to perform. Virat Kohli scored just 1 run in the first innings and 17 in the second innings, while captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and scored only 8 in the second innings of the second match.
_1730538426.jpeg)
In the first match, Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the first innings but managed to score 70 in the second innings. Captain Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, could only make 2 runs in the first innings but hit a half-century in the second innings of the second match.
Following these losses, the team management has reportedly canceled the 'optional training' sessions, applying this to all players, including senior stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, as well as pacers like Jasprit Bumrah.
Previously, optional training sessions allowed top batters and seamers to opt for light training or to skip sessions, but this flexibility has now been removed in light of the team's recent performance.
All eyes are now on the third and final match against New Zealand. This win is important not only for reaching the WTC final but also for preserving the current team structure. Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary also warned about cracks that may emerge within the Indian team due to the historic home series defeat.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
*The views expressed are personal to the author and do not reflect the platform's opinion of the same.
© Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
