It was always on the cards. And yet, you tend to think there would be fight. From someone. At least two or three of them would put their hands up. Make a difference and be counted. Virat Kohli would turn the clock back. Rohit Sharma would play a captain’s hand. Rishabh Pant would yet again lead India to an improbable victory.
It was false hope. India were bad. Rank bad. The Pant dismissal was the turning point for me. A suicidal run, which made no sense whatsoever. He hesitated, and then ran. The ball was going to Mitchell Santner’s throwing hand and Pant never had a chance. Along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Pant held the key. Not Kohli. Not Rohit. And that’s a reality India should start to accept.
For the longest time, we have compared batters to Sachin Tendulkar. It has been proved that no one, including Kohli, comes within a country mile of Sachin in red-ball cricket. Look at the longevity of Tendulkar, and you will know why. Against the likes of Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Saqlain Mushtaq, Sachin mastered spin-friendly conditions like a fish takes to water. Shubman Gill, who is touted as the next big thing, or Kohli, who has left his best years behind, doesn’t come near.
Where do India go from here in Test cricket? We still have a Test left to play in this series and now, with the World Test Championship (WTC), every game counts. And then, India travel to Australia for what is a huge series.
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The truth is, I am still very hopeful about Australia. With this current Indian team, we struggle against spin. In fact, it is time to accept that we no longer play spin well. We also struggle against the moving ball, as was evident in Bengaluru. What we don’t struggle against is bounce, which is what we will get in Australia. Australia isn’t England, and I expect India’s batters to come good. Yes, it will be a challenge, but they have done it in the past.
For the moment, though, we need to ask why the team management wanted a rank turner in Pune in the first place. India had beaten teams like England and Australia on good decks, and with quality spinners like R Ashwin in the side, it was always going to be our strength. Rank turners make modest spinners look good, and we have seen it multiple times in the past. In 2012, Monty Panesar was unplayable in Mumbai, and in 2017, the Australian spinners looked lethal in Pune. The same happened with Mitchell Santner here, and it was unfathomable why we opted for a wicket like this.
For the management, Gautam Gambhir and Rohit in particular, this has been a shocking series. First the toss decision in Bengaluru and then the pitch call in Pune. India did not need to empower the New Zealand spinners, and that’s what we did by preparing a wicket like this. Ashwin, with his quality, was rendered ineffective on a turner like this, with the pitch taking centre stage.
This isn’t the first time India have done this and suffered. And that’s what makes it even more baffling. With the series lost, it is time to look ahead. Get our act together in Mumbai, and start to prepare for Australia. You will need strong leadership from Gautam and Rohit to come out of this, and the challenge starts in Mumbai. With a team in transition, it isn’t going to be easy for either of them.
Also Read: India dug their own grave by rolling out turner in Pune yet again