Blame Game Begins On Pune Pitch, India Team Management Under Question From World Cup Winner

27.10.2024 - 02:31 sports.ndtv.com

Following India's disappointing defeat to New Zealand, former India cricketer Madan Lal offered a candid analysis of the team's performance, highlighting key factors behind the loss, such as the importance of home conditions and the need for a stronger showing from the top order.

1983 World Cup winner Lal began by discussing the advantage of playing on home turf, saying, "At home, we usually win series because the conditions favour us.

The pitches suit our style, and we are accustomed to batting and playing here. We are more familiar with the weather and climate.

Given all these factors, India generally has the upper hand." However, he voiced frustration over the choice of pitch preparation, questioning the reasoning behind it. "We have ourselves to blame.

cricket India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team India vs New Zealand 2024 Rohit Sharma New Zealand India

Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull attributed India's shocking series defeat to their batsmen's inadequacies against spin bowling but he was not ready to write off underwhelming star batter Virat Kohli. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner grabbed 13 wickets as the Kiwis walloped India by 113 runs in the second Test here on Saturday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. “There's a misconception that Indian players are better players of spin. I think they've had better spinners and they've been able to expose the opposition batters. But in this Test (at Pune), their batters were exposed a little bit by a very, very good performance from Mitchell Santner,” Doull told PTI Videos.

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Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill Not Spared As Sanjay Manjrekar Tears Into India's Batting Unit After Pune Defeat

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed dissapointment with Team India's batting during their shambolic loss to New Zealand in the second Test at Pune, which led to the hosts' first-ever series loss at home in 12 years. Indian batters got the taste of their own medicine as the Kiwi spin attack led by Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in the match, trapped the hosts in their own spin trap and defeated India by 113 runs to secure the series 2-0 with a game to go.

"There Will Be Cracks In Team": Ex-India Star's Blunt Warning After Pune Test Loss

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has criticised captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir after the Test series loss to New Zealand on Saturday. Rohit and co's loss to the Kiwis in the second Pune Test marked the end of an 18-series winning streak at home for Team India. Following the embarrassing loss, Rohit and Gambhir have come under the scanner for their approach and team selection. During a discussion, Tiwary warned Rohit and Gambhir of "cracks in the dressing room."

Former Selector Points Out 'Certain Pattern' That Should Worry Team India In Tests

Vijay Dahiya has known Gautam Gambhir for over two decades while navigating the choppy waters of Delhi cricket together, hence he is certain that his former teammate would address Indian team's tough transition phase in his inimitable chin-up style. For India's current head coach, the Test series defeat against New Zealand at home, a first in 12 years and after 18 victories on the trot, would be a bitter pill to swallow. But Gambhir can't be faulted if there's a sense of déjà vu.

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MS Dhoni knows what it takes to win. When he was the captain of the Indian cricket team, the side was one of the most successful phases in its history. Under him India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. The Indian cricket team also attained the world No. 1 ranking under MS Dhoni's captaincy. After the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph, India had to wait for 11 years their next ICC title. Rohit Sharma-led India cricket team ended the drought at the 2024 T20 World Cup with a win over South Africa in the final.