If numbers are sort of an index to a team’s performance in home and away matches and hence a tool to hazard a prediction, India’s negative eight-loss and seven- win outcomes in 15 home matches before the ICC World Twenty20 Super 10 big clash against New Zealand should not have surprised even the team’s dearest fan. The 47- run drubbing New Zealand handed out to Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s fragile team on a palpable turning track went further to trust the number-rationale. As a result India’s loss-record went up on Tuesday night at the Vidarbha Cricket Stadium here and New Zealand took its tally to five in a row starting from the inaugural Twenty20 in 2007 in South Africa. Conversely, India has a splendid 35 win – 17 loss record in the 53 matches it has played overseas. One match was abandoned.
The latest instance of caving to the New Zealand spinners raises the question of the Indian batsmen’s skill-proficiency against the turning ball and also playing according to the demands of the situation. The New Zealand spinners in action were off-spinner Nathan McCulluam (57 wkts at 22.32), left-arm spinner, Mitchell Santner (11 wkts at 10.27) and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (9 wkts at 16.00 – all they have stacked up after big match against India.
Even with no great experience the scholarly-looking Santner conjured up magic for a career-best return of 4 for 11 and to be declared the man of the match. The interesting fact is that the skilful spinner has never been collared in matches played at Old Trafford, Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington while playing against England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
It can be construed that the curator here may be a little friendly with the home team, not for the first time though. He had done his job when India beat South Africa here last November in three days. Did India underestimate the skills of the New Zealand spinners? The fact remains though that such a poor ‘dry wicket’ tactic backfired as the bamboozled Indians were jolted and jettisoned from the middle with New Zealand polishing it all with 15 balls to spare.
If the regimented wicket-to-wicket line of attack from McCullum coaxed Shikhar Dhawan to employ the fatal sweep in the fifth ball of the India chase, the circumstances should have advised Rohit Sharma not to come down the pitch and eliminate one mode of dismissal. He had been out stumped before two times in 56 matches. Dhoni’s 30 off 30 balls said a lot about his ability adjust and Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin tried to worked out a plan, but the New Zealand spinners had the final say on the match.
So far Indian batsmen have fallen to spinners 99 times, with the orthodox spinners taking 72 and wrist spinners taking 27. So there is a bright chance of 100 mark being recorded against Pakistan at Kolkata on March 19.
India and Pakistan have played twice Bangalore (Pakistan won by 5 wkts in 2012) and Ahmedabad (India won by 11 runs in 2012) and India has beaten Australia twice in India (Brabourne Stadium in 2007and Rajkot in 2013). India and Bangladesh have not played a match in India.
