A trigger for recalibration?

Wankhede is among the stadiums in India, where cricket runs as a streak of emotions. It is here that emotions were shattered and undesirable records assumed shape during the three-match India-New Zealand Test series. At a time when India will have to take a call on transition between eras at some point in time or other, the harrowing whitewash at the hands of the Kiwis is being seen by some as a jolt for recalibration. In fact, in the absence of specialist Test batters like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, a transition is already underway. The question arises: when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are added to the list of exiting stalwarts, how well-cooked would the youngsters be to take up the mantle by assuming specific roles burdened so well by their seniors in their prime. What makes the results look even more harrowing is the challenge lined up in the form of Border Gavaskar Trophy which might play a decisive role in cementing India’s prospects for the World Test Championship in England, or otherwise.

However, the foremost question still is: How did India falter on its home ground, at a turning pitch that was seen as favouring India more than the visitors—game after game, for three consecutive matches? Did the Kiwis outplay the reputed Indian team? They definitely did. However, this is not a good enough reason to digest the heavy browbeating received by a team whose calibre and experience is not second to any other cricket team in the world. Were the Indian’s casual in their approach? Are the experienced players past their prime? Is the younger lot not groomed well-enough to withstand the ups and downs of Test cricket? These are tricky questions, and cannot be answered through the lens of a single defeat—however humiliating.

Setbacks and resurgence are part and parcel of the game. Four years back, India was bundled out on 36—its lowest score in a Test inning—against Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Adelaide in 2020. This was followed by some stellar performances in subsequent series. Records, positive or negative, are meant to be broken. India’s 18-series winning streak at home had to be broken someday. Prior to the New Zealand series, India had not lost a home series at home for 12 years, which is no mean achievement. The last time India was whitewashed in a Test series was under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar in 2000 against South Africa; that was a two-match series though. The whitewash against New Zealand is the first ever in a three-match series. In fact, the last time India conceded three Test matches in a series was in 1983—four decades back. However, the argument that records are meant to be broken is not intended to rule out a room for critique. The losses such as the one against New Zealand should indeed serve as trigger for rigorous retrospection, but not for passing any final verdict on the quality or temperament of a team or individual players. Any retrospection should definitely start by crediting Tom Latham’s squad that has carved its place in cricket history with a gritty 25-run win at Wankhede, defending a modest 147 in a match that saw the Indian side collapse to pieces—a collapse that was reflected on the face of emerging Washington Sundar who sank into the pitch with his head signalling a sense of despair after Ajaz Patel's spinning delivery crashed into the stumps, sealing India’s fate.

Not even Rishabh Pant’s characteristically audacious inning—cut short by a controversial decision—could save India this time. The mental acumen of Ashwin, the grit of Jadeja, and Washington Sundar’s last-ditch effort—all fell in one swoop as Kiwis progressed with discipline and determination. This sordid climax was only an apt end to the flop show India’s stalwarts and emerging stars gave at the beginning. The quality and calibre of the Indian team is undisputed, and hence this disappointing performance can also be seen as a bad patch where nothing seems to fall in the right place. Still, the BCCI has reportedly made its intent clear regarding the future of seniors including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin. This is not completely a reaction to the New Zealand whitewash; an urge for scripting a transition may anyway have arrived. Indian players—new and old—have the opportunity to prove their mettle in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. A respectable and gradual closure for the seniors and cementing of positions by the juniors are mutually complementary phenomena. Both will have to be earned by respective factions, and BGT is an apt platform for the same.

This defeat has also cast serious doubts on India’s World Test Championship (WTC) prospects, with the team now needing a near-impossible 4-0 win in Australia to reach the finals on its own. If the team fails to make it, it will have to depend on the performance of other teams. In any case, the loss presents a clear mandate for the Indian team—rethink, rebuild, and refocus. Perhaps this defeat is a necessary jolt to recalibrate a team that has long relied on the experience of its seniors but now must look to the future. A tough choice lies ahead, and the Wankhede’s silence after that final wicket may well symbolise the end of an era. However, nothing can undermine the feats—both individual and as a team—achieved by senior players. Their hard-earned badge of heroism will remain forever. A defeat—however harrowing—is not good enough to create any dent in their contributions.