India has reportedly requested the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to prepare a “rank turner” for their third Test against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium. After suffering a 2-0 series loss, this marks the first time since 2012 that India has lost a Test series at home, ending their record 18-series winning streak. Now, they are aiming to avoid an embarrassing series whitewash, something they have not faced since February 2000.
According to the Indian Express, the team management has asked the MCA to create a pitch that will “support spinners from Day 1,” despite India losing the second Test in Pune on a spin-friendly track. Indian batters struggled against Mitchell Santner and the Kiwi spinners, losing 19 of their 20 wickets to spin, with Santner claiming 13 wickets alone. This highlights a concerning trend of Indian batters failing to handle quality spin bowling on challenging surfaces.
In previous instances of batting failures, India’s top spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, were outperformed by the opposition’s bowlers. Both spinners have had success at Wankhede; Ashwin has taken 38 wickets at an impressive average of 18.42 in five matches, the highest tally by any bowler at the venue, while Jadeja managed six wickets in his only appearance there.
The new pitch is expected to offer sufficient bounce in addition to spin due to the presence of red soil, unlike the slower turning track in Pune.
India Aims to Avoid a 24-Year First
The last time India lost all matches in a Test series at home was in February 2000, when South Africa defeated them 2-0. India lost the first two Tests against New Zealand in contrasting conditions.
In the first Test in Bengaluru, New Zealand did not use a single spinner during India’s first innings. Fast bowlers Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke took five and four wickets, respectively, while Tim Southee took Rohit Sharma’s wicket as India crumbled to a record-low total of 46. New Zealand scored 402 in their second innings, aided by Rachin Ravindra’s impressive 134 runs.
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India fought back in their second innings, with Sarfaraz Khan scoring 150 off 195 balls and Rishabh Pant contributing 99 off 105. However, after starting strong at 408/3, they were all out for 462, leaving New Zealand a target of 107 runs, which they chased down comfortably. This victory marked New Zealand’s first Test win in India since 1988.
In the second Test, played on a turning pitch, Santner, who wasn’t selected for the first Test and had never taken five wickets in a first-class match, achieved figures of 7/53 in India’s first innings, which saw them bowled out for just 156 in response to New Zealand’s 259. Tom Latham’s 86 helped set India a target of 359, but they fell short, all out for 245, resulting in a 113-run defeat and New Zealand’s first-ever Test series win in India.