New Zealand inflicted a crushing seven-wicket defeat on India in the second Test on Monday to clinch the two-match series 2-0. It was always going to be a tough challenge for the top-ranked Indians to tame the Kiwis on their home turf and the series loss underlines the fact that Virat Kohli and Co. remain a very beatable side in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries. Two of India’s biggest worries in alien conditions – batting woes and the inability to blow away the tail – continued to haunt them in this tour too.
A tour, which began so promisingly for the Indians with a 5-0 sweep in the Twenty20 International series ended disastrously as they were blanked 3-0 in the One-Day International (ODI) series before the reversal in the Tests.
Though there was no dearth of pompous press conferences by captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri, the Indians sadly failed to translate them into performances against a Kiwi side which made all the right moves in familiar conditions.
The pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami had bowled their heart out to keep India in the game at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch after the visitors were bowled out for 242 on the first day. However, the Indian batting collapsed yet again and could manage only 124 in the second innings. Kohli had a horror run with the bat and failed to cross the 20-run mark in the series, while his deputy Ajinkya Rahane seemed like a man hellbent on self-destruction in the all-important second innings.
The New Zealand pace quartet of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson made the most of the helpful track and Colin de Grandhomme got the prized scalp of Kohli in the second innings. Apart from Cheteshwar Pujara, the rest of the Indian batting threw in the towel in the second essay.
Jamieson steals the show
The performance of Jamieson in his debut series made a huge difference. The tall pacer picked up a five-for in the first innings in Christchurch and made a priceless 49 which ensured the home side conceded only a slender first innings lead of seven. Just like another rookie Sam Curran hurt India when they toured England in 2018, Jamieson proved to be a thorn in India’s flesh.
India went past the 200-run mark only once in the series. The first Test got over on the fourth morning, while the second one was completed well inside three days.
The move to send in Umesh Yadav as nightwatchman on the second evening of the Christchurch Test summed up the mood in the Indian camp. It’s easy to come up with statements like ‘We will not take a backward step’ and ‘We will play like the No.1 side’, but it’s entirely different to follow it up with one’s action under pressure. If at all India wanted to shield first innings’ top-scorer Hanuma Vihari, Ravindra Jadeja was the perfect choice. He’s the technique and more importantly the left-hander could have disrupted the rhythm of the Kiwi bowlers who were operating to a number of right-handers.
Poor record
The Kohli-Shastri combination’s record in SENA reads four wins, nine losses and a draw from 14 Tests. The Indians lost 1-2 in South Africa in 2018, were outplayed 1-4 in England in the same year, clinched a maiden series win against a depleted Australia 2-1 last year, and came second best to the Kiwis 0-2 this time. Make no mistake, New Zealand is a tough place to tour and the very fact that India have won just two series from 10 trips to the Kiwiland – in 1968 and in 2009 – proves that.
The Indians still are placed at the top of the ICC Test Championship table with 360 points from nine Tests. Kohli, who believes the Test Championship as the biggest ICC tournament, would return home with his ego severely dented.
India next tour Australia in November and unlike last year, the Aussies are a formidable side with the return of David Warner and Steve Smith and the emergence of new run-machine Marnus Labuschagne. The pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in addition to off-spinner Nathan Lyon will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Indians.
But, November is too far away. The South Africans land in India for a three-match ODI series next week and then the slam-bang circus of the Indian Premier League is ready to unfold. One can only hope that the Indian team management would do some soul-searching after a thoroughly disappointing series.
