Cricket

Despite India's consecutive Test losses against New Zealand, visiting captain Tom Latham maintains that the Indian squad remains formidable without any significant weaknesses. New Zealand achieved a remarkable milestone by securing their first Test series victory in India, winning the opening match in Bengaluru by eight wickets and following it up with a decisive 113-run victory in Pune.While India faces comprehensive challenges across all departments in the current series, the New Zealand team, which has performed flawlessly throughout their tour, offered encouraging remarks about their opponents. "India are a quality side, things obviously haven't gone the way they wanted over the last couple of weeks but it doesn't make them a bad team overnight," Latham told reporters before New Zealand's training session at the Wankhede Stadium."They've got superstars from (Nos) 1 to 15 in their squad and we expect them to be in their best tomorrow and again a new challenge for both teams, a new surface." Latham added, "I'm sure a surface that they know well and a ground that they know well, so I certainly don't think they have any chinks - they're a quality team and it's going to be another great battle."With New Zealand leading 2-0, a clean sweep over India is possible, though Latham remained reserved about that prospect. "We've obviously done a lot of good stuff over the last couple of weeks but for us, every Test match you go (in with) the focus of trying to win key moments and not necessarily focusing on the result..." Obviously that's the byproduct of putting things together back-to-back, good sessions back-to-back so yeah, a different pitch, different conditions, it's obviously a lot hotter out there than what we've faced in the last couple of weeks," he said.Latham, who assumed New Zealand's captaincy before this tour, expressed satisfaction with his team's two wins, which have bolstered the inaugural World Test Champions' hopes of reaching another final. Prior to this tour, New Zealand's chances of a second WTC final appearance were slim, but they now need to secure victories in all four remaining Tests to stay in the race. Besides the upcoming third Test against India, New Zealand will face England in a three-Test home series.But once again, Latham opted to downplay the significance of their achievement and said, "The beauty of this team is we're a reasonably levelled team in terms of I guess when results don't go so well but also when you know results do go well." We try to keep things as level as we can and there's no bigger carrot in terms of what's coming up, if you know, if we are successful throughout this game." We always focus on the process around what that looks like from the start of the game and adapt throughout the game in terms of the game situation and what will be needed," he said.Latham stated that New Zealand's focus remains on the task ahead, rather than celebrating being the first Kiwi team in nearly 70 years to defeat India on their home soil. "The guys celebrated what was you know a fantastic last week and came here yesterday. We're a bit shocked by the heat, it was pretty hot out there, but yeah, again, another challenge and you know we'll certainly be looking forward to what's presented to us this week," he said.When asked whether overseas Test and series victories should hold more weight in the WTC points system, Latham expressed his contentment with the current setup. "I haven't necessarily thought about that as such. The introduction of the World Test Championship over the last five (to) six years has been fantastic and the context that it has put on Test cricket, rather than bilateral series, has been fantastic," he said."We've probably seen a few more results in terms of games that have been played certainly over the last period of time, so the context that's now given Test cricket is awesome." Being in the position with the first one (winning team) and being successful gives you a taste of what that success feels like and once you do it, you want to do it again," he added.

India's recent Test series defeat against New Zealand has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. For the first time in 12 years, the Indian team has lost a Test series at home, succumbing to the Kiwis in the first two matches of the three-match series.Former India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has been critical of skipper Rohit Sharma's captaincy in the Pune Test, which India lost by seven wickets. Karthik believes that Sharma was not proactive enough as a captain and failed to match New Zealand's intensity and clarity."Not at his best. I thought he had a very tough Test match, he did all he could. I could see there was a lot of pressure on him, add to the fact, that he did not get many runs as well. So overall, it was not a great Test match. He will reflect and think, 'what could I have done better? Was I a reactive captain or a pro-active captain?'" Karthik said on Cricbuzz.Sharma's struggles with the bat have also been a concern. He has been among India's worst performers with the bat in the first two matches."There is a fine line, this Test match was one where he was chasing the ball a little bit. He tried his best with whatever he could, but you have to say it wasn't the best game for either him or Team India," Karthik added.After the two losses, Sharma took a rather lighthearted stance in the press conference, saying that the team is allowed such a performance after being on top for the last 12 years."We are allowed one such performance in 12 years. If we were collapsing like this on a regular basis then we would not have been winning at home. We have a lot of expectations. We are expected to win every game at our home, and it is because of our performances," he said.However, Karthik believes that Sharma needs to be more proactive as a captain and take more responsibility for the team's performance."He needs to be more proactive. He needs to be more clear in his communication. He needs to be more clear in his plans. He needs to be more clear in his execution. He needs to be more clear in his decision-making," Karthik said.

Team India's recent Test series defeat against New Zealand has sparked widespread criticism, with former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali joining the chorus of voices expressing concern. Ali highlighted the team's batting failures as the primary reason for their downfall, emphasizing their inability to handle both spin and pace bowling."India's batting got exposed," Ali said. "In the first match, the Kiwi pacers took 17 wickets. In the second Test, spinners took 19 wickets. India players were neither able to play pacers well nor spinners."Ali also pointed to the team's overconfidence as a contributing factor. "India might have thought they would beat the Kiwis easily," he said. "This means that the Indian management and players were overconfident."Ali expressed particular concern over the team's preparedness for the upcoming Australia tour, noting the absence of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami from the squad. "I am surprised why there is no Mohammed Shami in the squad for the Australia tour," he said. "You have put all the load on Bumrah. Without Shami, India might face problems in Australia."Ali's criticism echoes the sentiments of many experts who have questioned India's batting technique and mental approach. The team's inability to adapt to different bowling conditions and their tendency to collapse under pressure have been major concerns.As India prepares for the Australia tour, they will need to address these issues and find a way to improve their batting performance. The absence of Shami, one of their most experienced and reliable bowlers, is also a significant setback.The team's management and players will need to work together to find solutions and regain their winning ways. Otherwise, they risk further setbacks and a decline in their Test rankings.

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.

Mohammed Shami, India's premier fast bowler, has expressed his disappointment on social media after being overlooked for the upcoming Test series against Australia. Shami has been sidelined since the ODI World Cup 2023 final due to an ankle injury and subsequent knee swelling.Despite recently declaring himself pain-free, the selectors opted to exclude him from the squad. Shami took to Instagram to share a video of his training, expressing his determination to regain match fitness and return to the red-ball format.Australia head coach Andrew McDonald acknowledged Shami's absence as a significant loss for India. However, he emphasized that his team will not underestimate the replacement pacers, citing India's victory in the Gabba Test in 2021.McDonald also hinted at the possibility of Shami joining the Indian team for the second half of the Australia tour if he proves his fitness in Bengal's upcoming Ranji Trophy matches. India has a strong record in Australia, having won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in their last two visits.Shami's injury has opened the door for other bowlers to stake their claim in the Test team. The likes of Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Jaydev Unadkat will be eager to impress and cement their places in the squad.The absence of Shami is a blow to India's bowling attack, but it also presents an opportunity for other bowlers to step up and prove their worth. The upcoming Test series against Australia promises to be a fiercely contested battle, and the outcome could hinge on the performances of the bowlers from both sides.

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.

The Indian cricket team's dismal performance in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand has raised serious concerns among fans and experts alike. After losing the first two Tests in Pune, India is on the brink of a humiliating clean sweep, a fate they haven't suffered at home in over a decade.The team's batting has been particularly disappointing, with the top order failing to provide a solid foundation. In the second Test, established batter Sarfaraz Khan was inexplicably sent in at No. 7, while all-rounder Washington Sundar was promoted ahead of him. This move drew criticism from former India star Sanjay Manjrekar, who called it "bizarre" and a sign of "T20 thinking."India's bowling, once a strength, has also been ineffective against the New Zealanders. The spinners, led by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, have failed to make consistent breakthroughs, while the pacers have been unable to contain the opposition's batsmen.The loss in Pune has also dented India's chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final. With only one Test remaining in the series, India needs to win convincingly in Mumbai to keep their hopes alive.Former India captain MS Dhoni, who was at the helm when India last lost a Test series at home in 2010, has expressed his disappointment with the team's performance. "It's not easy to lose a Test series at home," Dhoni said. "The team needs to introspect and find out what went wrong."With the upcoming tour of Australia looming, India's poor form is a major cause for concern. The Aussies are a formidable opponent on home soil, and India will need to make significant improvements if they want to avoid another embarrassing defeat.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has come under fire for his insensitive and unprofessional behavior towards Pakistan captain Shan Masood during a live television interview following the team's series triumph over England.In the post-match show, Raja, instead of celebrating the team's hard-fought victory, chose to taunt Masood about Pakistan's recent string of losses. He asked Masood, "How did you achieve six losses in a row?" This question was met with widespread criticism from former cricketers and fans alike.Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir was particularly vocal in his condemnation of Raja's behavior. "You should celebrate the series win," Amir said. "There is a series winning captain sitting next to you. You should have asked him about the win, next plans. But you are making fun of him. Have some respect."Raja's behavior was seen as particularly inappropriate given that Pakistan's Test series win over England was their first on home soil since 2021. It was also their first series win over England since 2015.Raja's actions have raised questions about his suitability for his role as a commentator. Many have argued that his personal biases and lack of professionalism make him unfit to provide objective analysis of cricket matches.The incident has also highlighted the importance of respecting players and their achievements. Masood and his team had just accomplished a significant victory, and Raja's taunts were a disrespectful and unnecessary way to treat them.

India's Test series loss to New Zealand has raised concerns, but captain Rohit Sharma remains optimistic. Despite the disappointing defeat, Sharma believes there is no need for panic.India's 12-year home Test series winning streak came to an end with New Zealand's 113-run victory in the second Test. Mitchell Santner's 13-wicket haul played a crucial role in the Kiwis' triumph.Sharma acknowledged the team's recent struggles but emphasized the need to stay calm and focus on improvement. "We've had a great run for 12 years, and we've done great things during this period," he said. "We will think about what we didn't do well and what we can improve, but I don't need to open a medical kit and start doing things differently."India's defeat has impacted their World Test Championship (WTC) standings. They now lead Australia by a mere 0.32 percentage points. However, Sharma believes it's premature to focus on the WTC."It's too early to think of WTC," he said. "I am hurting because we lost the game. I can't think of what lies ahead and whether it affects our chances. I am hurting because we lost the series."Sharma highlighted the team's collective responsibility for the defeat. "If you lose a Test, it is because the collective unit failed," he said. "If you win, everyone deserves credit. If you lose, everyone needs to take the blame."Despite the setback, Sharma remains confident in the team's abilities. "We have won 18 series in a row at home," he said. "We have done a good job. In this series, we didn't bat as well as required. These things happen."Sharma emphasized the importance of trusting the team's plans and processes. "The New Zealand batters showed that," he said. "We used to do that. So, yeah, it happens."