As India’s storied Test cricket narrative confronted an unprecedented twist, the spotlight fell on the team’s inability to wield the bat effectively. In what marked their first Test series defeat on home soil in 12 years, the Indian cricket team found themselves at the receiving end of an exceptional performance by New Zealand during the match held in Pune on October 26. Captain Rohit Sharma offered a candid assessment post-game, speaking about the critical need to revamp their batting strategy against spin, a skill that had eluded them in this match.
Rohit acknowledged, without resorting to blame games or overstatements, that the team’s performance with the bat in the first innings was lackluster. The team managed merely 156 runs, a score insufficient to withstand the pressures of playing on a demanding pitch. “We didn’t bat well in the first innings. We got only 150 [156] and the batters do understand that they failed to respond to that pressure, that challenge of playing on whatever pitch,” Rohit remarked following the team’s 113-run defeat.
The pitch, according to Sharma, was more than playable. He pointed out that the deficit of over 100 runs underscored a larger issue with adapting to the pitch’s conditions as the game progressed. “The pitch was not bad at all. We just didn’t play well enough to get closer to that first inning score of theirs. And then obviously with 100 [103] runs behind, we always knew that it is going to be challenging whatever score we have to get,” Sharma explained. As the second innings unfolded, despite building promising partnerships—particularly between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill—the team faltered again, losing key wickets rapidly and with it, their grip on the game.
One of the standout performances causing India’s undoing was the adeptness of the New Zealand bowlers, chiefly Mitchell Santner, whose multifaceted approach to spin bowling left the Indian batsmen in a bind.
. Rohit stressed the necessity of developing counter-strategies to address such challenges, emphasizing the importance of diversifying scoring techniques: “You have to look to get runs also and that’s how you try and put the bowlers under pressure,” the Indian skipper noted.
Rohit praised the New Zealand batters for their innovative play, employing shots like the paddle, reverse, and sweep, which effectively changed the fielding dynamics, making it difficult for the Indian bowlers to dominate. “They were trying to do different things and it worked very well for them. That’s one thing that we wanted to do as a team,” Rohit acknowledged, citing examples from a match earlier in the year where these techniques had proven successful against England.
Furthermore, balancing expectations with reality, Rohit defended star spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who faced criticism for not living up to their usual standards when outperformed by Santner, who clinched an impressive match haul. “There is too much expectation on those two guys,” Rohit contended. “It’s the responsibility of all of us to make sure that we get the Test match wins, not just the two guys.”
In reflecting on these dynamics, Rohit reiterated the need for a collective team effort, rather than reliance on individual brilliance. Recognizing that this series should not prompt an overreaction, Rohit emphasized, “We are not able to bat properly. So, it is allowed once in 12 years. If there were such collapses for 12 years, then we would not have been able to win.” He further noted that maintaining stability while adjusting and refining strategies was crucial, particularly noting the savvy of opponents who have closely monitored the strengths of the Indian team and adapted their tactics accordingly.
Rohit believes that India’s adaptability and strategic innovation, much like their past successes, will enable them to rebound from this setback. As the team turns its focus towards honing technique and placing a greater emphasis on creativity against spin, the captain’s message was clear: India’s cricketing journey is far from over, and in embracing these challenges, they will look to rise once more to the pinnacle of Test cricket success on the global stage.