It is impossible to get out of such massive depth because 46 was a gigantic hole that India found itself under. Nevertheless, they did try their best but it wasn’t good enough because with about 357 runs lead, it was always New Zealand’s game to lose. That at one point, it looked like India could set a target tall enough for New Zealand to struggle to overcome must be commended. Nonetheless, this loss was as unexpected as was unacceptable. Without meaning to offend New Zealand, I don’t think India must have lost to a team that reached these shores on the back of a washed out Test against Afghanistan and a 0-2 drubbing in Sri Lanka. Their confidence was low and coupled with India’s record at home, New Zealand would have been deflated. What transpired on the first day or rather the second day, was shocking to say the least.
The Indian teams this millennium have been good travellers. The team has won more number of Tests outside of India over the last 25 years than the last millennium put together. The reason I think is because every Indian team know what to expect outside of India, pace, bounce, swing and seam. The opposition will go to any length to prepare pitches that does not suit the Indian batsmen. Hence, they always know how to react and plan the innings.
Shocked and unable to respond
What transpired at Bangalore was the opposite. India was defeated in the mind. It wasn’t brilliant bowling and it wasn’t lack of skill. New Zealand’s bowling was steady and consistent but it definitely wasn’t spectacular. Indian team is used to expecting pitches without any bounce whatsoever at home. It has been true for the past several decades. Pitches that are good for batting on the first couple of days and as the game meanders, spin comes into the picture. On such pitches, they already have foolproof method that has served the team well over the last few decades. Rohit and the team expected the same to continue. When they got a pitch that bounced a lot more than usual, they were shocked and did not know how to respond.
Rohit and Sarfaraz thought that the best way was to attack but perished in trying to do so. Kohli’s wretched form continued. Once the scoreboard read 12/3, the rest panicked and saw demons on the pitch. No one was able to break the shackles. Pant tried his histrionics but with a lack of support at the other end, he couldn’t do much. He stood at one end and watched as others succumbed around him.
A test of character
This pitch was a good lesson for the team. They will now know that from time to time, Indian pitches will bounce, and they must get used to it. The relentless rain leading upto the Test meant that the pitch did not have the time to break. The intermittent rain during the Test was another that prevented the pitch from drying. Rohit Sharma, by admitting that he must have bowled after winning the toss, can be excused for the decision, but what inexplicable decision was it to leave the 3rd seamer out of the eleven?
Everyone was aware of the volume of rain that the city would receive during the course of the game. With the weather in Bangalore being as it is, it will not be possible for the pitch to break during the span of the game. Common sense dictated three seamers, but Rohit’s wisdom made him choose a 3rd spinner.
Need for partnerships
Having dug a hole for themselves, the team needed a couple of mega partnerships to dig themselves out. They got that, first in the form of Kohli and Sarfaraz and next in the form of Sarfaraz and Pant. All the three batsmen, wiped out 90% of the deficit. Pant was at his usual best. The shot of Southee that took the ball out of the stadium, will be etched in the minds of everyone who watched it. Just like Kohli’s straight hoick of Haris Rauf in the T20 group game in Sydney in 2021, the audacity of the shot was mesmerising. Ideally, the lower middle order must have contributed 150-175 runs. If only they had managed it, the target may still have not been enough but atleast it would have given a chance.
This is the problem when you play 5 bowlers. If even one of the all-rounders is not contributing with the bat, that leaves a huge hole which is not possible to overcome.
Wrapping up 46 was a gigantic hole
Kohli’s form is worrying. Has he past his best? Should we stop expected the daddy hundreds that he scored at will about 5 years ago? An average of 33 over the last 5 years with just 2 hundreds is unacceptable for a player like Kohli. It is time his place is brought into question.
As for Sarfaraz, I am reserving my judgement. Sure, he played brilliantly to get to his maiden hundred. Sure, he was instrumental in ensuring that the massive deficit was overcome without much of a problem. However, I am not able to pass a judgement that he is good because of his response to the second new ball. The moment the second new ball was taken, he became all jittery and the fluency with which he scored 150 was missing. There were far too many plays and misses. It is hard to imagine a batsman batting on 150, become so suspect against the new ball. Does he have it in him to succeed in Australia? Does he have it in him to succeed in England next year? These are questions that only time will answer.
I am also reserving my judgement about Jaiswal who too could not transcend the odds.