Top-5 factors of Team India’s defeat: Flop show, IPL retention and mega auction diverted attention in the first innings of both the tests.

The Indian cricket team’s streak of not losing a Test series at home came to an end after 12 years and 18 series. New Zealand took an unassailable 2-0 lead by winning the first two out of three Tests and realized their 69-year-old dream of defeating India in India for the first time. Kiwi team has been touring India since 1955.

The question arises that how did New Zealand accomplish such a great feat? How did the Kiwis do what teams like Australia and England could not do in the last 12 years? The answers to these questions lie in 5 factors…

First factor- New Zealand came with good preparation Before the tour of India, the New Zealand team has come to Sri Lanka after playing a two-Test series against Sri Lanka. There the Kiwi team had to face a 0-2 defeat, but its players got good practice playing in spin friendly conditions. This practice came in handy in the first two test matches against India.

Second factor- Indian team is lagging behind in both pace and spin matches. There have been two test matches in this series so far. The Indian management had prepared a flat track for the first test. However, due to rain and overcast conditions, the conditions proved favorable for seam and swing bowling during the first Test match in Bengaluru. Kiwi fast bowlers took full advantage there.

A rank turner pitch was prepared for the second test match. That means there was help for the spinners from the first day in the Pune Test. This time Kiwi spinners like Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel performed better than the Indian spinners.

Third factor- Batting flop in the first innings in both the tests. In both the test matches, the flop show of the batsmen in the first innings cost India dearly. In the first innings of the first test, the Indian team was all out for 46 runs. Due to this, India lagged behind so much in the match that despite scoring 462 runs in the second innings, it had to face defeat.

In the second Test match also, the Indian team collapsed on the score of just 156 runs in its first innings. New Zealand scored above 250 in both their innings. Due to this, in the last innings on a spin friendly track, India got an almost impossible target of 359 runs to win the match. Team India collapsed for 245 runs in the second innings.

Fourth factor- New Zealand will suffer the consequences of taking it lightly The New Zealand team has been touring India since 1955, but had never succeeded in winning a Test series here before. Because of this the Indian management probably did not take New Zealand seriously. Just before this series, the Kiwi team had to face defeat in Sri Lanka. Most of the Indian fans and experts were convinced that winning the series against New Zealand would prove to be a cake-walk for India. The opposite happened.

Fifth factor- IPL retention and mega auction become distraction On one hand, India-New Zealand Test series was being played, while on the other hand, news related to IPL mega auction and players retention were making headlines. Because of this the focus of our players also got diverted.

A few days ago, Rishabh Pant was asking fans on social media whether he should go to the auction. At the same time, the team’s main off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was seen making a video and debating on which IPL team will retain which player. Many players, including team captain Rohit Sharma, have not yet decided whether they will stay with their old team in the IPL or go to the auction.