#INDvsNZ: New Zealand clinches series 2-0 after India's batting woes continue in 2nd Test

 

 

Christchurch, March 02: After the batting unit once again collapsing in the second test, Kohli-led India faced a reality check after clinical New Zealand swept the series 2-0 with a comfortable win by seven wickets in just three days here at Hagley Oval on Monday.

 

 

This series being a part of the World Test Championship has seen New Zealand taking 120 points from the match tallying up to 180 points and placing them at the third position in the table. India has continued to remain at the top with 360 points after their series wins against the lowly West Indies, depleted South Africa and a below-par Bangladesh. India could only produce 124 runs in the second innings before New Zealand chased down the target of 132 runs in just 36 runs with both the openers scoring half-centuries which led them to the victory.

 

With India's Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant struggling on Day 3 at 90/6, India could not create momentum and partnerships as the New Zealand pacers were consistently putting pressure on the Indian batsmen to ensure they do not set a target of a huge score. However, wickets kept felling after India's lower-order once again failed to score and were able to add just 34 runs. Both the openers of New Zealand scored half-centuries leading the team to a comfortable win after Mohammad Shami had sit and could not bowl post-lunch due to a ball-impact injury while batting.

The biggest challenge in this tour for India has been the batting unit as they did not show the "intent" even in one innings losing the wickets frequently without creating steady partnerships. The openers together did not create a proper foundation, though scoring runs in one or other innings. The skipper Virat Kohli's form has been a concern now scoring just 36 (2&19, 3&14) runs in this series. Even in the 3-ODI series, after a half-century in the 1st match, he scored 9 and 15 runs losing the series with a clean sweep.

 

And the middle order displaying a disaster performance. The team management should now rethink Rishabh Pant who was given preference over the experienced Wriddhiman Saha because he could get runs for the team. Pant has not only disappointed as a batsman but also as a wicketkeeper. The bowlers did showed intent as Ishant Sharma in the 1st test picked up 5-wicket haul before he had to sit out and in the 2nd test Shami getting four wickets. However, the runs scored by the batsmen were not enough to defend it. New Zealand showing a complete all-round performance with bowlers playing aggressively and the batsmen doing their job properly.

 

The tosses and the pitch conditions were the key aspects, however, Kohli did not think so. He said, "We are not a side that thinks about the result of the toss. Yes it did give a bit of extra advantage to the bowlers in the first two hours of each Test, but as an international side playing so well over two, three seasons, you are expected to go out and execute in those conditions."

 

 

Speaking about the Indian batsmen form in this series, Kohli said, "We are usually a batting side that fights. Batsmen didn't do enough for the bowlers to attack. It's disappointing as a side when the batsmen don't back up the effort of the bowlers. To win series and matches outside home you need to have a balanced performance with bat and ball and in the field - take those chances as well. We need to go back, understand what went wrong and correct those things moving forward."

 

Kohli added about the positives he saw in this series. He said, "T20s were pretty good. In the ODIs it was good to see the youngsters stepping up with Rohit not being available and me not getting runs. Those are a few positives, but as a Test team we were not able to play the kind of cricket we wanted to. We need to accept we were not good enough, take it on the chin and improve those things."

 

Nevertheless, the tour will be remembered as the tour of clean sweeps as India started off by clinching the T20I series but then the hosts made a perfect comeback to earn back to back whitewashes in ODI and Test series. India should now sit down and rethink about the upcoming matches against Australia and England for the World Test Championship. It will be difficult for them to stay at the top if will not get the right roadmap.