The Indian team has lost once again on home soil. After losing to South Africa and New Zealand in the tests, the Indian team has now lost a white-ball series. Over-reliance on the newcomers and zero creativity in the field while bowling led to a mishap.
After winning the toss, the Indian team management chose to chase on a pitch that is considered heaven for batting. New Zealand took the opportunity, especially Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, two Kiwi seniors, who had asked Indian bowlers tough questions and hammered them, scoring blistering centuries.
In reply, the Indian openers fell short, and the middle order also collapsed. Virat Kohli only stood there as one man army, scoring his 54th Century in which he got the support from the lower order. Special mention goes to Harshit Rana; together with Virat, he formed a 99-run partnership.
Also Read । Rinku Singh faces police probe after Karni Sena files FIR ahead of T20 World Cup preparations
This kiwi team brought a second-string team, but they converted the chances to win where the Indian team failed.
Key takeaways from the series
Jadeja’s form is one of the key areas of concern for the Indian team. His white-ball stats have decreased day by day. His generic bowling did not suit the match situation, for the Indian team failed to stop runs with spin bowling. Along with that, Kuldeep Yadav also looked off colour. He is India’s number one wicket taker in the middle overs, and when his strategy failed against Daryl Mitchell, he failed to show creativity with his wrist.
Over-reliance on Prasidh Krishna also went wrong for the Indian team; Arshdeep Singh warmed the bench till the last match. He came and clinched three wickets in his first match of the series.
Also Read । ICC sets January 21 deadline on Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation
Gill, along with Shreyas Iyer, both made their comeback in the ODIs with this series; the two failed to convert the starts, which put the pressure on Virat Kohli. As the star-led era of the Indian team is coming to an end, players who are considered future assets now need to stand out for the team. Newcomers faded by the shadows of Stalwarts, and it changed the game dynamics; it remained the summary of the series.
