Indian cricket team’s streak of not losing a home Test series came to an end after 12 years and 18 series. New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 lead by winning the first two out of three Tests and fulfilled their 69-year-old dream of defeating India in India for the first time. The Kiwi team has been touring India since 1955.
The question arises how did New Zealand achieve such a great feat? How have the Kiwis done what teams like Australia and England couldn’t over the last 12 years? The answers to these questions lie in 5 factors…
First factor – New Zealand arrived with good preparation. Before the India tour, the New Zealand team played a two-Test series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. There, the Kiwi team had to face a 0-2 defeat, but their players were able to train in spin-friendly conditions. This practice came in handy during the first two Test matches against India.
Second factor: The Indian team is lagging behind in the pace and spin games. There have been two test matches in this series so far. The Indian management had prepared a flat track for the first test. However, due to rain and overcast conditions, conditions turned out to be favorable for seam and swing bowling in the first Test match in Bengaluru. The Kiwi fast bowlers took full advantage.
A ranking turnaround pitch has been prepared for the second test match. This means that the spinners were given help from the first day of the Pune Test. This time, Kiwi spinners like Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel performed better than Indian spinners.
Third Factor – Batting Flop in First Innings of Both Tests The batsmen’s flop show in the first innings of both Test matches was heavy for India. In the first innings of the first Test, the Indian team was all out for 46 runs. Due to this, India was so far behind in the match that despite scoring 462 runs in the second innings, they had to face defeat.
In the second Test match also, the Indian team collapsed by a score of just 156 runs in their first innings. New Zealand scored over 250 in both their innings. Due to this, in the final innings on a spin-friendly track, India achieved a near-impossible target of 359 runs to win the match. The Indian team collapsed for 245 runs in the second innings.
Fourth factor – The New Zealand team suffers the consequences of taking New Zealand lightly. The New Zealand team has been touring India since 1955, but they have never managed to win a Test series here before. It is for this reason that the Indian leadership probably did not take New Zealand seriously. Just before this series, the Kiwi team had to face defeat in Sri Lanka. Most Indian fans and pundits were convinced that winning the series against New Zealand would prove to be a breeze for India. The opposite happened.
Fifth Factor – IPL retention and mega-auction have become a distraction. On one hand, the India-New Zealand Test series was underway, while on the other hand, news related to the IPL mega-auction and player retention was making headlines. Because of this, our players’ attention was also diverted.
A few days ago, Rishabh Pant asked his fans on social media if he should go to the auction. At the same time, Ravichandran Ashwin, the main player of the team, was seen making a video and debating which IPL team would retain which player. Many players, including team captain Rohit Sharma, are yet to decide whether they will stay with their former team in the IPL or go to auction.
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India lost after winning 18 consecutive series at home: New Zealand’s first victory in India; Ashwin left Kumble behind
Team New Zealand created history by winning the Pune Test. With this victory against India, the Kiwi team took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. This means the series was captured with one match remaining. The New Zealand team won the Test series in India for the first time. The New Zealand team has been touring India since 1955 but could not win the Test series so far. …