Anil Kumble, former India captain and coach, has asked the Indian team to introspect after they lost the three-Test series to New Zealand 0-3. This was the first time India got whitewashed in a Test at home after 24 years.
India lost the third and final Test match in Mumbai by 25 runs after Ajaz Patel (6 wickets) ran through the Indian batting order on Sunday.
Anil Kumble stated that it was time for India to take a long, hard look at themselves before embarking on a tour of Australia. Kumble criticized the top-order hitters in particular, saying that the fact that Indian batters are failing to survive a single session is a major source of concern.
"I think it's about time. If it was not even before the start of this Test match, it certainly something that India needs to respect and then, you know, understand what kind of surfaces you need to play on as well. You know, I think we spoke about it even in Pune before the start of the Test match itself. It was a spin to win. But it's certainly given New Zealand a chance to come out there and then do what they have done exceptionally well. I mean, kudos to them," Kumble said on Jio Cinema.
Kumble contended that the pitch influenced the psyche of the Indian batsmen, who were scared off by the turning surface.
India was outplayed in all three games of the series. In Bengaluru, New Zealand pacers bowled India out for 46 runs, winning the match comfortably. Mitchell Santner spun a web around the Indian team in the second Test, while Ajaz Patel took 11 wickets in the third Test to dismantle them.
"One team that has been really good travelers when they come to India has been the Kiwis. Everybody has a good soft word and a nice word about the Kiwis. But this was a performance where, you know New Zealand dominated in the series. Yes, of course, the win was just by 25 runs. But the way they went about countering the pitches, the conditions, the bowling and that's what you know, you need to give credit to to New Zealand. Whereas India succumbed to all those that I mentioned," Kumble congratulated the New Zealand team.
"I think the pitch got to the heads of the Indian batters...the top order not even batting a session throughout the series, except for that one partnership in Bangalore in the second innings. Other than that, you know in five innings to sort of just go through a batting lineup, like the Indian batting lineup in one session certainly says a lot about the approach, the attitude, and of course, needs a lot of questioning and how you could come out of this," he further added.
India now has to win the Australia Test series 4-0 or 5-0 to ensure they qualify for the WTC final without depending on the results of other matches.
