New Zealand defeated India by 25 runs in the third and final Test match in Mumbai, completing a 3-0 whitewash. It is the first time India have been whitewashed in a home series of three or more Tests at home. Meanwhile, New zealand became the fourth side to whitewash India in a series of three-plus Tests after England (4), Australia (3) and West Indies (1).
The scanner will be on Gautam Gambhir, as the new head coach will have a huge task to motivate his team for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The scanner will also be on senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who underperformed throughout the series.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s poor form at home this season
In Tests at home this season, Rohit has only managed 133 runs in 10 innings at an average of 13.30. He has managed one fifty and his high score is 52. Meanwhile, Kohli has only registered 192 runs in 10 innings at an equally low average of 21.33, with one fifty. His high score this home season has been 70.
Speaking on Cricbuzz after the match, former India cricketer Pragyan Ojha was asked if the poor form of Rohit and Kohli played a big role in India’s performance vs New Zealand. The former player said, “They are senior players, they need to take full responsibility. They are in bad form right and because of that India’s collapse looks worse. If both these batters would have clicked, it is not just about them scoring runs then, they would also be giving confidence to their teammates. But that didn’t happen.”
Warning Gambhir ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he said, “This Australia series will be very important for both of them. If they find form there, then India will feel a little bit comfortable. Because Down Under, I feel they way they are preparing, Australia won’t make it easy for them. Specially when they know that India are coming on the back of losing a home series, and that too a whitewash, Australia are ahead in mind games and make good use of it. They will do everything to unsettle India in Australia. They have twice lost at home so they will look to avenge those defeats. The situation couldn’t get better for Australia because senior Indian players are not scoring runs.”
This is the first-time ever that New Zealand have won three Tests in a series home or away and first time ever they have won three successive away Tests. In the final innings, India were set a target of 146 runs, and it was Rishabh Pant vs New Zealand as the rest of the home side’s batting order collapsed.
India lost half their side inside eight overs, with only 29 runs on the board. But Pant tried to stage a comeback and counterattacked, bagging his second fifty of the Test. But he fell to Ajaz Patel, who delivered the finishing touch for New Zealand, courtesy of a succesful review. Then Glenn Phillips removed Washington Sundar and R Ashwin, who tried to hang around, and then Ajaz wrapped up the match.
