Picture Credit: X
Rohit Sharma-led Team India faced a historic 0-3 defeat at home against New Zealand. This is the same New Zealand team that had just arrived after a 0-2 hammering against Sri Lanka. This loss marks the first time in Indian Test cricket history that a visiting team has whitewashed them at their home. The setback has also hurt India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship Finals, which is set to take place next year in June.
Although the Men in Blue will have a daunting task to win the upcoming five-match Test series against Australia down under in order to qualify for the WTC Final. Moreover, this defeat has frustrated many Indian fans, with former cricketers openly criticizing the team’s performance and approach.
However, there have been several cricketers who have bluntly criticised India’s performance in the Test series against New Zealand, here in this article, we’ll take a look at the five harsh comments made by former Indian cricketers.
5 Harsh comments after India's 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand
Virender Sehwag’s strong criticism
Former India opener Virender Sehwag didn’t hold back, calling out the Indian team’s lack of skill against spin and criticizing the management's experimentation in Test cricket. He stated, “The skill to play spin certainly needs an upgrade, and some experimentations might work in shorter formats, but in Tests, doing them without purpose is poor.” Sehwag also congratulated Tom Latham and New Zealand on achieving this rare feat.
#PAGE_BREAK
Irfan Pathan’s concern over team strategy
Irfan Pathan expressed disappointment, calling the defeat “embarrassing” and urging team leaders to review their decisions. He praised New Zealand’s performance and pointed out that Indian players rarely play on spinning pitches in domestic games, which could be affecting their skills and inability to tackle spin. He also noted that fewer top players are participating in domestic cricket, which may harm the team in the long run.
#PAGE_BREAK
Aakash Chopra’s honest take on spin weakness
Aakash Chopra was straightforward, saying India struggles with quality spin. On his YouTube channel, Chopra said, "Now it feels like we should admit that we can't play spin. Let's be very, very honest, let's not beat around the bush. On flat tracks, we can (play spin), but everybody can on a flat track. The only difference is that we play spin better than other teams on flat tracks and bowl better as well because our spinners have quality."
"So we win the quality vs quality battle. But if the track offers spin ever so slightly, then whether it is the Pune or the Wankhede in Mumbai (we fall short)...The New Zealand batters haven't struck as a unit. Daryl Mitchell played one inning of note, similarly to Tom Latham, and Rachin Ravindra...Still, they played spin better than us. Let's be absolutely honest," he further added.
#PAGE_BREAK
Sachin Tendulkar calls for reflection
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar also reacted, describing the 0-3 defeat as “hard to accept” and questioning if the problem was poor preparation, bad shot selection, or lack of match practice. He tweeted, “Losing 3-0 at home is a tough pill to swallow, and it calls for introspection. Was it lack of preparation, was it poor shot selection, or was it lack of match practice?”
#PAGE_BREAK
Sanjay Manjrekar’s strong criticism
Sanjay Manjrekar took a harsh stance, calling India’s batting collapse worse than the infamous all-outs for 36 and 46. He wrote, “That Sarfaraz Khan shot finishes off so far, one of the worst batting displays by India. This is worse than 36 & 46 all out.”
