For the second Test match in a row, India’s batting collapsed in dramatic fashion. After being bowled out for 46 under overcast and seaming conditions in Bangalore, India crashed to 156 all out in the first innings of the second Test in Pune.
Mitchell Santner was all over the Indian batting line-up as the left-arm spinner returned with career-best figures of 7/53. Out of the other three wickets, part-time off-spinner Glenn Phillips took two of them. No Indian batter looked comfortable against the spinners, and they conceded a huge 103-run lead.
After a dismal batting show, India were criticized heavily. Simon Doull did not cut them any slack and came out heavily on the modern Indian batters. The former Kiwi pacer and current commentator believes it is a ‘misconception’ that the current Indian players play spin better.
“I think it is a misconception around the world now that these modern Indian players are better playing spin than anyone else. They are not. They are the same as everyone else around the world,” Simon Doull was quoted saying on JioCinema during the lunch break on Day 2 of the second Test in Pune.
Doull added that former Indian players like Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar were excellent against spin. However, the current team is just as good as any other team in the world against quality spinners.
“Gone are the days of Ganguly, Gambhir, Laxman and Dravid. Sachin was so, so good against spin, and the era before them. I think good quality spinners are just as good at getting India out on turning tracks as Indian spinners against good quality opposition batters. And the moment they see a turning track in IPL, they complain,” Doull added.
India and their recent struggles against spin
India have struggled quite a bit against spin in the last few years. In fact, they even lost the ODI series a couple of months ago in Sri Lanka where conditions were conducive to spin. Even England troubled the Indian batting line-up earlier this year. The likes of Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir had quite a bit of success against them. The likes of Nathan Lyon and Toddy Murphy troubled them in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023.
The Rohit Sharma-led side will need to produce a big effort in the fourth innings to remain alive in this series. Moreover, they are at risk of losing a home Test series for the first time in 12 years. India have won 18 Test series in a row at home but New Zealand are on the brink of creating history. They have never beaten India in India and are favourites to clinch their first Test series win in India.
