India Set For Defeat In Australia After Falling Over In Cricket’s Biggest Upset

Perhaps overexcited by cricket’s ultra-wealthy being barrelled over by little New Zealand in front of their stunned fans, it might have felt like jumping the gun to label India’s home defeat as the greatest upset in sports.

But after India lost the third and final Test to complete New Zealand’s whitewash, forget hyperbole. Even days later it doesn’t quite feel real, perhaps echoing the sentiments of many over a certain election result that has just dominated global headlines.

To the lament of many, as this British Commonwealth sport struggles to spread beyond its foothold, cricket has been mostly taken over by India armed with copious amounts of money that swallows smaller nations like New Zealand.

ForbesNew Zealand Stun Cricket Power India In One Of The Biggest Upsets In SportsBy Tristan Lavalette

Cricket is basically set up for India to conquer, justifiably so for its partisan backers who inevitably launch a staunch defense by stating, quite accurately to be fair, that it bankrolls the sport.

It was a mismatch on paper and even more so on the financial sheet. New Zealand, like all the other relatively impoverished cricket countries, are fighting an uphill battle these days with several of their best players seeking greater remuneration in private franchise leagues rather than slogging for their country in international cricket.

So for India to get rolled at home for the first time in 12 years just can’t be compared to anything in sport. It would like if the U.S. – the star-laden basketball team that won gold at the Paris Olympics – lost three straight times to the same opponent amid having meddled in the playing conditions after losing the first game.

After a first Test defeat, where the ball moved around wickedly to suit New Zealand’s quicks, India to the surprise of no-one cooked up rampaging turning surfaces over the next two matches.

But to the surprise of everyone, New Zealand’s relatively docile spinners outbowled India’s legendary counterparts in an extraordinary turn of events that might never be replicated again given the continual disparities in cricket.

There is good reason why only Australia and England have beaten India on their turf since 2000. While the result is probably an outlier, so shocking that it will be studied for decades to come, India might have more pain ahead as they quickly turn their attention to a tough tour of Australia for a five-Test series.

Australia are in the midst of their best period of Test cricket since their golden age of the 2000s and extra motivated to not lose a third straight series at home to India, who they haven’t beaten anywhere since 2014.

If feels very much like this upcoming series will be an end of an era for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but India feels more in need for regeneration than Australia right now.

India has an endless supply of talent, unsurprising for the most world’s biggest population that also is cricket crazy, but they are still sticking with its fading stars.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, whose ultra-aggression at the top has backfired, and Virat Kohli – regarded as the most influential player of his generation – have been struggling for some time now in Test cricket.

But India’s hierarchy will dare not give them the boot even if this wheezing batting order is in dire need for a spark.

It means come November 22 at an expected fast and furious Perth Stadium pitch – the complete opposite of what they’ve just experienced – India, who decided to scrap a three-day intra-squad match and opted for training instead, will go into the first Test on a hiding to nothing against a rampaging Australia bowling attack.

More tough times could be ahead for India, whose incredible wealth and influence is for once meaningless.