Talking points: Rohit, Kohli, Ashwin under scanner after New Zealand thrashing

Washington Sundar's breakthrough series in Tests?

After losing the first Test in Bengaluru comprehensively, India added Washington Sundar to the squad, who had just scored a century for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy at No. 3. While he had played a few brilliant innings for India with the bat, his bowling numbers were not eye-catching. Two Tests later, he is now seen as a long-term replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin.

The 25-year-old took 11 wickets in Pune on his comeback Test and backed it up with another impressive four-wicket haul on day one of the third Test in Mumbai. Across the two Tests he played, the youngster comprehensively outbowled his senior compatriot Ravichandran Ashwin.

What India will have to ponder going forward definitely is the left-hander's batting position. Across Pune & Mumbai, Sundar looked more compact and untroubled than every Indian batter, barring Rishabh Pant & Shubman Gill, yet batted at No.8 or lower in all but one innings. The time may have arrived for India to bat Sundar at No.7 or, whenever there's an opportunity, even higher.

Rohit, Kohli continue to slide

For two series in a row, Rohit Sharma has failed to deliver with the bat for India. Against Bangladesh, the India skipper scored just 42 runs @ 10.50 in four innings, and now, against New Zealand, his 91 runs have come at 15.16. His aggressive approach early on has fetched him a few runs at a brisk pace, but in the larger scheme of things, he has more often than not thrown away his wicket, which is not restricted to this series alone.

Sadly Virat Kohli, too, cannot catch a break. His weakness against spin has well and truly been exposed in this series. Kohli scored at an average of 16.75 against spinners and was dismissed on four occasions - thrice against left-arm spinners. In Tests since 2020, out of Kohli's 28 dismissals in Asia, a whooping 23 (Ave 27.26) have come against spinners.

Can Kohli and Rohit brush these failures aside in the upcoming series against Australia?

In home conditions at least, the duo — particularly Kohli — has started to become a burden on the side.

Ashwin endures a horror series

One of the reasons New Zealand managed to walk away with the series was because Ravichandran Ashwin had a quiet series. With 383 scalps at 21.57 in home conditions, Ashwin, without a shadow of a doubt, has been a constant match-winner for over a decade. However, against New Zealand, he failed to have an impact, managing just nine wickets - the least for him in a 3+ matches series at home. 

Is this a minor blip for the veteran spinner, or is there a bigger cause for concern? Time will tell. If we are to go by this series alone, it won't be a surprise if the management play Sundar ahead of him in Australia, not least because the latter is a much more established batter as well.

Should Will Young be given a longer rope?

Player of the series, Will Young, may not have scored big hundreds, but he built partnerships throughout his knocks, which solidified New Zealand's position in all the matches. He scored twin fifties in the third Test in Mumbai to help his side complete a historic 3-0 sweep. If Kane Williamson was fit, Young may not have had the opportunity to play in the series but now he has put serious pressure on the team management as far as selection is concerned for the upcoming series against England. 

Also read - Will Young: New Zealand's unsung hero on historic India tour

Assuming Williamson regains fitness, who goes out now? Conway? Phillips? Blundell? One thing's for sure, it'd be ridiculously harsh if the New Zealand management decides to bench Young once again.

Ravindra fades away but proves his mettle

Rachin Ravindra prepared well for the India tour at the Super Kings academy in Chennai, and that paid dividends as he played match-winning knocks in the first Test in Bengaluru to hand New Zealand their first win on Indian soil in three decades. He scored 134 and 39* in the first Test and started off well in the second game in Pune with 65, but then registered three single-digit scores in a row to end the series.

He showed terrific application against spinners, striking at over 80 against them in the series - highest for New Zealand - and averaged a respectable 36.2.  

Ravindra made his debut three years ago in India and has shown utmost maturity since then, transforming himself into a reliable batter. If the 2023 World Cup was a breakthrough tournament for him in ODIs, this series will go down as the beginning of a promising career in Tests.

The future is bright for Ravindra and the Blackcaps!

Start of a second innings in Tests for Santner?

Mitchell Santner and Test cricket just had not clicked together, until he had a crack at the Indian batters in Pune. Prior to the second Test, he had one of the worst averages and worst strike rates in the format, especially in Asia. Before that game, Santner did not have even one four-wicket haul in Tests. However, in Pune, the left-arm spinner walked away with two five-wicket hauls, picking up 13 wickets in total. 

While Santner still offers a lot to the team with his batting prowess, the Blackcaps would be elated to see the 32-year-old have his moment under the (hot) sun. Could this be the start of Santner's second innings in Test cricket? 

Pant comes good with bat, but what about his keeping?

Rishabh Pant returned to Test cricket in the series against Bangladesh and started off with a superb ton in Chennai. He fell one run short of a ton in Bengaluru, and in the final Test in Mumbai, he seemed on course to take India home. He slammed twin fifties, both at a strike rate of over 100, and was without a shadow of a doubt the standout batter in extreme conditions.

But what about his wicketkeeping? Since his return to Test cricket, Pant has dropped as many as five catches - the most by any keeper in this period. His catching efficiency, too, has been just 50% - the lowest for him in a calendar year.

Pant, the batter, is still very much the same, but Pant, the keeper, has still not shrugged off the rust. India will want the 27-year-old to become a bit more polished behind the stumps; the team can't afford to squander chances at the BGT.

Poor selection calls from both sides in Mumbai?

While one cannot term it a "blunder", both sides certainly made a poor selection call in the Mumbai Test. William O'Rourke, who had a terrific tour of Sri Lanka, bowled just two overs in Mumbai. He is also someone who offers absolutely nothing with the bat. Hence, on a rank turner, the more sensible decision from a New Zealand perspective would have been to play someone like Mark Chapman in the XI. The visitors would have had an extra batter, and additionally, Chapman could have bowled a few overs of left-arm spin as well, if needed.

Similarly, a case can be made for Axar Patel to have been included in place of Mohammed Siraj, who bowled six wicketless overs. Axar would have been a useful addition to the spin department but, more crucially, would have strengthened India's batting. The left-hander was arguably the team's best batter in the BGT at home last year, where the second and third Tests were played on some really sharp turners.

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