India’s 0-3 whitewash at home to New Zealand is arguably one of the most undesirable moments of cricketing history for a nation mad about the game.
While the Sunday collapse in Mumbai proved the last straw, everything went wrong for Rohit Sharma‘s team right from the first Test in Bengaluru.
TOI takes a look at the key moments that led to a humiliating home series verdict…
Rohit’s Bengaluru blunder: The decision to bat first on a sticky Chinnaswamy track under cloudy skies reeked of overconfidence by India. The little bit of first-session juice that the pitch had to offer was enough for Kiwi bowlers, Tim Southee, Matt Henry and William O’Rourke to scythe through the Indian batting line-up and bowl them out for 46.
Spectacular 2nd-innings collapse: India had managed to salvage the situation in the second innings with a fine 177-run fourth-wicket partnership between Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan. A late middle-order resistance was the need of the hour. But with the introduction of second new-ball, India collapsed from 408-3 to 462 all out, that eventually led to the 8-wicket loss.
Another first-innings capitulation: After restricting New Zealand to 259 in the first innings in the second Test in Pune, the Indian batters simply threw it away against left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (7-53) in their first innings. There was little or no sense of application and the moment the team conceded a 103-run lead on a crumbling track, the game was all but over for India.
Ashwin‘s dry spell at Wankhede: R Ashwin has been central to India’s success over the last decade at home. But this time he was not at his best and his spell of 0-47 in the first innings of the third Test on a minefield of a pitch was way below expectations. Given the conditions, the Indian spin attack should have kept New Zealand to way below their first innings tally of 235.
Ro-Ko’s wretched run continues: Chasing 147, all India needed was a half-decent effort from senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on Sunday. The Indian captain’s mistimed pull off Matt Henry was an indication of his poor form throughout the series while Kohli looked like a sitting duck against the left-arm spin of Ajaz Patel. With 29-5 in no time, there really was no way back for India and the 0-3 whitewash made the record books against the much-vaunted hosts.
