The Indian cricket team found themselves in unfamiliar territory as they suffered their first Test series loss on home soil in 12 years. This turning point came on October 26, during the Pune Test, where India succumbed to a formidable 113-run defeat. The loss sparked intense discussions about the perceived decline in Indian batting standards when confronted with spin, an area traditionally considered a stronghold for the team.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma candidly acknowledged the inadequacies in their batting performance during the first innings of the Pune Test. The team could only muster a lackluster 156 runs, and this deficit became insurmountable on a pitch that presented its own set of challenges. Sharma, while steering clear of excessive blame or dramatics, emphasized the pressing need for the team to adopt novel strategies against spin—a tactic that the opposing batsmen effectively employed.
“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,” Sharma reflected post-defeat. “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. Because as the game went on, the pitch started behaving slightly differently.”
Elaborating further, Sharma shared insights on the strategic adjustments made by the New Zealand batters, specifically their approach to countering Indian spin. Mitchell Santner and his fellow bowlers created a relentless challenge that the Indian batters struggled to navigate. “You have to look to get runs also and that’s how you try and put the bowlers under pressure,” Sharma explained. “Like I just mentioned about New Zealand batters, they were trying to do different things and it worked very well for them.”
The Indian captain mentioned the success New Zealand found with techniques such as sweep and reverse sweep shots—strategies that forced Indian fielders to adapt, thereby granting the batsmen the opportunity to exploit the field with more traditional, straight-bat techniques. “That’s one thing that we wanted to do as a team.
. Try and play paddle, reverse, sweep. Because when you do those kinds of things, they have to take one extra man from the front and put it behind. And that allows you to then play straighter and hit those gaps.”
However, Sharma also acknowledged the reality that such decisions rest with the individual players on the field. Factors like the type of bowler and the prevailing circumstances heavily influence these decisions. “But eventually, when the player goes out in the middle, it is his decision what he thinks at that particular time is right to do against certain bowlers,” Sharma stated.
On the bowling front, Sharma came to the defense of his spin stalwarts, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who did not enjoy their usual dominance in the Pune Test. Sharma articulated that the expectation placed on these bowlers to decisively influence every game was unrealistic. “There is too much expectation on those two guys. Every game they play, they are expected to take wickets, they are expected to run through the team and they are expected to win Test matches for us. I don’t think that’s fair,” Sharma remarked. He underscored the notion of collective responsibility in achieving Test match victories.
As discussions around a potential shift in India’s Test cricket dynamics abound, Sharma preached the importance of stability and avoiding overreaction to this singular series defeat. “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,” Sharma commented, putting India’s consistent performance in perspective.
The Indian captain remains optimistic that minor adjustments, rather than a complete overhaul, can enable the team to reclaim their strongholds in forthcoming matches. As the team charts its course ahead, understanding opposing strategies and refining their own techniques remain at the forefront of their agenda.