Rohit Sharma Ravichandran Ashwin Kuldeep Yadav Ravindra Jadeja Australia Washington New Zealand India Bangladesh cricket India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team 2024 Rohit Sharma Ravichandran Ashwin Kuldeep Yadav Ravindra Jadeja Australia Washington New Zealand India Bangladesh

Why Did India Include 5th Spin Option For New Zealand Tests? Report Reveals Big Reason

sports.ndtv.com

India decided to include all-rounder Washington Sundar in the squad for the New Zealand Tests despite already having four specialist spin options.

The decision was taken following the loss in the first Test encounter in Bengaluru on Sunday. Although the squad already had Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, the BCCI decided to add Sundar for the two remaining Test matches.

According to a report by Indian Express, Sundar was added to the squad due to concerns regarding India's batting with Shubman Gill struggling with a stiff neck, Rishabh Pant's knee injury, and KL Rahul's disappointing show in Bengaluru.

The report added that it was the request from the Gautam Gambhir-led team management to include Sundar and he can play the second Test match in Pune.

Related News
Delhi seamer Harshit Rana's promising domestic season took an exciting turn on Tuesday as he was called up to join India's squad for the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, sources say. The 22-year-old Delhi fast bowler, who impressed in the ongoing season with both ball and bat, is likely to make his Test debut on Friday. He is set to miss the round four matches for Delhi and will be leaving for Mumbai on Tuesday evening. The young pacer's call-up to the Test squad marks another step in what has been a rapid ascent in India's domestic scene. A day before India's recent series loss to New Zealand in Pune, he was also named in the 18-member squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has fired shots at the Indian cricket team following its rare series loss at home to New Zealand. New Zealand on Saturday won the second Test in Pune by 113 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, and handed India a first home series loss in nearly 12 years. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Shehzad hailed New Zealand for dominating India in their own backyard. He also labelled the Indian team as "paper tigers".
India's qualification for the World Test Championship final in June next year is hanging in balance and even if they make the grade for the third consecutive time, it will be a massive surprise if skipper Rohit Sharma stays available for the next two-year WTC cycle. Ditto for Ravichandran Ashwin, who will be 41 by then. Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli, the two supremely fit men, will be 39. The embarrassing Test series defeat at home against New Zealand has already triggered a debate around the effectiveness of a few seniors. Ravi Shastri could only empathize with Gambhir. "New Zealand have beaten them (India) handsomely in both the Test matches. It's food for thought (on series loss). He (Gambhir) has just taken over the job. It's never easy being coach of a team that has such a big following," Shastri said while commentating during the second Test in Pune.
India succumbed to its first-ever Test series loss at home in 12 years on Saturday after New Zealand thrashed them by 113 runs in the second Test. The last time India lost a Test series at home, it was against Alastair Cook-led England in 2012. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner weaved magic with his 6-104 in the second innings on Saturday as New Zealand did the unimaginable by clinching a historic Test series win in India for the first time with a 113-run victory over the hosts. Santner, who took 7-53 in the first innings, rattled India yet again with a remarkable spell of 6-104 to end up with match figures of 13-157, the third-best match figures for a bowler from his country in Tests. 
What was almost unthinkable till a few days, looks like a possibility now. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team are only one loss away from being clean-sweeped at home by New Zealand. For the fist time in 18 series (the duration of which spanned 12 years) India have lost a Test series at home. India's record of 18 consecutive bilateral home series wins has come to an end - the longest such sequence for any team.
India skipper Rohit Sharma refused to heap pressure on his batsmen following the team's 113-run loss to New Zealand in the second test on Saturday but said individuals had to trust in and execute their own plans to improve.

Latest News

Change privacy settings
This page might use cookies if your analytics vendor requires them.