Cricket

India's Test dominance at home came to an abrupt end as New Zealand scripted history by defeating the hosts by 113 runs in the second Test in Pune, securing their first-ever series win on Indian soil. The loss marked India's first home Test series defeat since 2012, snapping an 18-series winning streak.Skipper Rohit Sharma, while acknowledging the disappointment, defended the performance of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have been under scrutiny for their recent form. Rohit emphasized that the team's success or failure should not be solely attributed to two players."There's too much expectation on those two guys. Every game they play, they are expected to take wickets, run through the (opposition) team and win Test matches for us. I don't think that is fair. It's the responsibility of all of us to make sure that we get the Test wins, not just the two guys," Rohit said.He added that both Ashwin and Jadeja are allowed to have off days. "I'm not going to look into too much, especially with those two guys. They know exactly what happens and sometimes they are allowed to have some bad games here and there and not go by that expectation that 'okay, this is the opportunity for me to take wickets and run through the opposition'. That's not going to happen every time," he explained.In the Pune Test, Ashwin claimed five wickets and scored 22 runs, while Jadeja picked up three wickets and contributed 80 runs with the bat. However, their performances were overshadowed by New Zealand's impressive bowling attack, led by Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in the match.India's batting also faltered, with only Yashasvi Jaiswal managing to score a half-century in the second innings. The hosts were bowled out for 245, handing New Zealand a comfortable victory.The series loss is a significant setback for India, who had been unbeaten in home Test series since 2012. It also raises questions about the team's ability to maintain their dominance in the longest format of the game.

India's star batters have suffered a significant decline in confidence due to the excessive use of rank turners in home matches, according to former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. This has adversely affected their home averages and overall careers.Harbhajan cited Ajinkya Rahane as a prime example, highlighting that his career has been hindered by these challenging surfaces. In the recent Test series against New Zealand, India lost on a Pune turner after managing only 156 and 245 runs, with New Zealand's Mitchell Santner taking 13 wickets.Harbhajan questioned the Indian team's strategy of relying heavily on turners, arguing that it has proven counterproductive. He pointed out that batters have lost confidence playing on these tracks, as they are unable to predict the ball's behavior."Our batters have lost a lot of confidence playing on these tracks. The biggest example is Ajinkya Rahane, a fine player. His career suffered because of these kind of surfaces," Harbhajan emphasized.He further explained that batters lose confidence when they are unsure whether to attack or defend on pitches where the ball turns excessively. This has led to a decline in their performance, even in overseas matches where the conditions are more favorable.Harbhajan also criticized the Indian team management's preference for bowlers who are accurate but lack the ability to turn the ball on flat decks. He suggested that bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who possess exceptional spin skills, should be utilized more effectively.Despite the challenges, Harbhajan believes that India has the talent to produce replacements for its aging players. He emphasized the importance of providing opportunities to young players at the right time, citing the examples of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma."The game will move on and we will get replacements," Harbhajan asserted. "It is about getting right opportunities at right time."However, he acknowledged that the upcoming Australia series and the World Test Championship final will be crucial for many players in the team.

India's batting woes continued in the second Test against New Zealand in Pune, leading to a humiliating 113-run defeat and their first home series loss in 12 years. Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his disappointment, highlighting the team's inability to handle spin.Manjrekar pointed out that Shubman Gill, despite his talent, lacks the "feel for spinners" and struggles on turning pitches. He also criticized Virat Kohli for misreading the length of Mitchell Santner's delivery and Rohit Sharma for lacking confidence against spin."The top three of India's top four are short of confidence against spin," Manjrekar said. "On pitches like these, it is difficult to bat vs spin in the first session and a half. India should have backed their defense more and not lost early wickets."New Zealand's spin attack, led by Santner, proved too strong for India. Santner took 13 wickets in the match, including 7/53 in India's second innings. Glenn Phillips also contributed with 2/26.India's batting woes were evident in both innings. In the first innings, they were bowled out for 156, with only Ravindra Jadeja (38) offering some resistance. In the second innings, they were bundled out for 245, despite a promising start from Yashasvi Jaiswal (77).The defeat marks a significant setback for India, who had won the first Test in Kanpur. It also raises questions about the team's ability to handle spin, a crucial factor in Indian conditions.

Virat Kohli's dismissal on Day 3 of the second Test against New Zealand proved to be a pivotal moment in India's eventual 113-run defeat in Pune. The batting maestro was visibly heartbroken after being dismissed for 17 by Mitchell Santner, a dismissal that sparked an India batting collapse.With a mammoth target of 359 in front of them, India needed Kohli to stand tall with Rohit Sharma and others already back in the hut. While Kohli did get a decent start, he was undone by a beautiful delivery from Santer, who got it to zip quickly off the surface. The ball hit him straight in front of the leg stump and umpire Richard Illingworth raised his finger.Kohli was quick to review the call, but the ball tracking showed that the ball would've gone on to clip the leg stump, meaning the decision couldn't be overturned. Kohli, of course, did not like the decision one bit. He was visibly disappointed at the call and hurled a mouthful after hesitating to walk back to the dressing room.Now, a day after India's loss, a fresh video of Kohli's reaction following his dismissal has gone viral. In the video, Kohli looked visibly dejected as New Zealand players were celebrating his wicket.Chasing 359, India started strongly with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who shared a 62-run partnership with Shubman Gill (23 off 31 balls, four boundaries). However, after Jaiswal's dismissal for 77 off 65 balls (nine fours, three sixes), India couldn't recover, succumbing to the Kiwi spinners and being bowled out for 245, resulting in a 113-run defeat. This series loss marks India's first home series defeat in 12 years.Santner, with a remarkable 13 wickets in the match (6/104 in the second innings), emerged as the star of the game, with Phillips and Ajaz Patel chipping in to wrap up the Test two days early.Rohit and his men will aim to bounce back in the third and final Test, starting November 1, before the all-important tour of Australia next month. India will play five Tests Down Under, with the series likely to decide their fate as far as the World Test Championship (WTC) final is concerned.

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has expressed support for current coach Gautam Gambhir despite India's Test series loss to New Zealand. This marks India's first home Test series defeat in 12 years.Shastri emphasized that Gambhir is still in the early stages of his coaching tenure and has ample time to improve. He acknowledged that the Indian batters were outplayed by New Zealand's spin attack, led by Mitchell Santner, who claimed 13 wickets in the match.In the first Test, New Zealand posted a competitive 259 thanks to half-centuries from Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. Washington Sundar then took seven wickets to dismiss the visitors. India, in response, were bowled out for 156, with Santner claiming seven wickets.In the second innings, New Zealand extended their lead to 358 runs, with Tom Latham scoring 86. India's chase of 359 began well, but after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal, the hosts collapsed, losing by 113 runs. Santner once again starred with six wickets, taking his match tally to 13.Shastri believes that Gambhir will learn from this experience and improve as a coach. He urged patience and support for the new coach.

Pakistan's hopes of reaching the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final next year have been revived after a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes. Despite a historic series defeat to Bangladesh and a subsequent loss in the opening Test against England, Pakistan's chances appeared all but over. However, a 2-1 series win over England at home has pushed them back into contention.India's dominance at home was shattered by a visiting New Zealand side, who secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series. This result shook up the WTC standings and made the race for the final more open.Currently, India and Australia remain in the top two positions in the standings. However, India's lead has been reduced to just 0.32 PCT, while New Zealand's strong performance has lifted them to fourth place with a 50.00 PCT. Pakistan, though still in seventh with 33.33 PCT, is now mathematically back in the race.For Pakistan to qualify for the WTC final, they must win all four of their remaining matches – two away games against South Africa and two against the West Indies at home. Doing so would raise their PCT to 52.38. However, this alone will not be enough. Pakistan will need other results to go their way, with teams like India, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and South Africa needing to lose key matches to allow Pakistan to climb into the top two spots.While Pakistan's chances of reaching the final remain slim, the series victory over England and the shake-up caused by India's surprise defeat have ensured that they are still in the conversation. The road ahead is difficult, but Pakistan's qualification hopes are not over yet.

In the second ODI between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine elected to bat first. The visitors made two changes to their lineup, with left-arm spinner Fran Jonas replacing Amelia Kerr and right-arm pacer Lea Tahuhu replacing Molly Penfold.India welcomed back regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who replaced D Hemalatha. They also handed a debut to legspinner Priya Mishra, who took the place of Renuka Singh Thakur. Mishra has impressed in recent domestic tournaments and was part of the India A tour of Australia.India currently leads the three-match series 1-0 after a 59-run victory in the first ODI. New Zealand needs to win the second game to keep the series alive and earn crucial points in the Women's Championship. Only the top five teams and host India will qualify directly for next year's World Cup.

India Eyes Series Win in Second ODI Against New ZealandIndia will be aiming to seal the three-match ODI series against New Zealand when the two teams clash in the second match at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The hosts will be buoyed by their comprehensive victory in the first ODI, where they dominated the visitors in all departments.New Zealand, who were riding high after their maiden T20 World Cup triumph, were brought down to earth with a thud in the series opener. India's debutants, Tejal Hasabnis and Saima Thakor, played starring roles in the win, with Hasabnis scoring a half-century and Thakor taking three wickets.India will be hoping to maintain their momentum in the second ODI. Skipper Smriti Mandhana will be keen to continue her good form, while the management will be monitoring the fitness of regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who missed the previous match due to an unspecified niggle.New Zealand, on the other hand, will be desperate to bounce back and level the series. They will need their senior players, such as Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, to step up and lead the charge.The match is expected to be a close contest, with both teams evenly matched on paper. India will have the home advantage, but New Zealand will be determined to prove that their World Cup victory was no fluke.

India's recent Test series defeat to New Zealand has sparked a debate about the responsibility of senior players and the role of coach Gautam Gambhir. Former wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes the onus lies with the experienced players, while Sanjay Manjrekar defends Gambhir's minimal influence on the team's performance.Karthik emphasizes that senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should take ownership of the loss. He acknowledges their poor performance and expects them to introspect and identify areas for improvement. Karthik believes they have the courage to face criticism and will strive to rectify their mistakes.Manjrekar, on the other hand, argues that the coach has a limited impact on the team's performance. He credits Gambhir for selecting Washington Sundar, but questions the decision to send him ahead of Sarfaraz Khan. Manjrekar believes such tactical errors should be avoided and that Rohit Sharma should focus on the overall quality of players rather than match-ups.Former India captain Anil Kumble suggests that Kohli's absence from domestic matches may have hindered his preparation for the Test series. He believes that game situations provide a better advantage than practice and that Kohli could have benefited from playing earlier.The defeat has raised concerns about India's Test cricket future. Karthik urges the senior players to take responsibility and work towards improving the team's performance. Manjrekar emphasizes the need for tactical adjustments and a focus on player quality. Kumble highlights the importance of match practice for players like Kohli.