By India’s troubles with spin bowling have raised serious concerns, particularly after their poor performance in the second Test against New Zealand. Traditionally noted for their ability to perform well on spin-friendly wickets, India’s batting lineup has seen a significant drop in effectiveness against spin since 2020.
* Batting Collapse: In the first innings of the Pune Test, India was bowled out for only 156 runs, trailing New Zealand’s score of 259. Mitchell Santner’s outstanding bowling performance (7 wickets for 53 runs) was critical in this collapse, revealing flaws in India’s batting against spin12.
* Declining Averages: Notably, prominent batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s batting averages against spin have dropped significantly. Kohli’s average has plummeted from 72.45 (2013-2019) to 32.86 since 2020, while Sharma’s has fallen from 88.33 to 37.83 over the same time period23.This trend raises concerns about the team’s capacity to adjust to difficult situations.
* Misconceptions About Spin Proficiency: Former cricketer Simon Doull questioned the notion that Indian players are innately good against spin, claiming that current players struggle similarly to others across the world. He stressed that the days of famous players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who excelled against spin, are over.
Historical Context
India has long been dominating at home, particularly on twisting tracks. However, recent matches show a disturbing trend:
* India lost to Australia in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, bowled out for 109 runs on a turning pitch. * The current series against New Zealand might be India’s first home series loss since December 2012 if they do not improve their current position.
India is susceptible at home because of a mix of diminishing individual performance, notably in spin management, and strategic errors. As they face losing their proud home record, reflection and adaptation will be critical to the team’s future success in Test cricket.
