If Sachin Tendulkar could play domestic cricket at 40, why can’t Rohit and Virat? Fans questioning…

India had surprisingly lost a rare home series against New Zealand as the team went down in the three-match series at Bengaluru and Pune. The second Test at Pune was remarkably indicative with New Zealand’s spinners, particularly left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, making full use of what was expected to be India’s home advantage as the track turned slow. Two five-wicket hauls from Santner meant New Zealand outplayed the hosts by eight wickets and handed India its first series loss at home in 12 years.

This defeat has opened discussions within the cricket fraternity as several experts have come out and questioned India’s susceptibility to spinners, let alone on their home turf.

The Top Order Struggle with Spin

India’s usually spin-savvy batting order looked thoroughly clueless against New Zealand spinners in Pune, falling to the opposition’s spinners a record 18 times over two innings. It’s usually the other way around, as far as Indian spinners getting the credit goes for India’s successes in these shores, but this series turned the tables in that Indian batters struggled against the very challenge that has brought them consistent victories. The removal of Virat Kohli twice at the hands of Santner was the key talking point since this came into question about his game plan against left-arm spin. Similarly, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma were part of their main top-order components, coming across similar problems, bringing into focus their apparent unease against quality spin bowling.

Former India selector Sunil Joshi, for one, was pretty worried during the discussion on Star Sports underlined that the top-order batters of India do not get enough exposure to domestic cricket. “Our batsmen should know how to plan against spin,” Joshi said. “When will we see our top-order batters go back to play domestic cricket? Back in the day, every big player would return to the domestic circuit to hone their skills before returning to Test cricket. Playing domestic cricket is not easy. It’s a challenge in itself,” he added.

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Domestic Cricket: A Forgotten Arsenal?

This series further showed how Indian batsmen are losing all confidence when it comes to playing spin. Actually, since 2021, India’s top five have averaged only 34.84 against spin in Asia, ranking below subcontinental rivals Pakistan at 44.46 and Sri Lanka at 42.19. Even Afghanistan has done better at 37.20 and Bangladesh at 36.31, meaning there is something fundamentally wrong with the way India copes with spin.

Slowly but surely over the past couple of years, most of India’s biggest stars have begun to withdraw from domestic events like the Ranji Trophy, raising questions about whether a lack of domestic match practice might make them worse off than they should be against spinners.

To illustrate, Virat Kohli has not represented in the Ranji Trophy since 2012; on the other hand, Rohit Sharma participated in the season of 2015-16. Interestingly, even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar were in circulation in the domestic phase till 2013 despite his dislike of the year 2013, as it is still remembered for the great performances of the master blaster.

This trend has triggered a viral debate on social media, where both fans and experts reminisce about the fact that domestic cricket used to be an important avenue for players to regain form or acclimatize to certain conditions. With Indian batsmen underperforming in conditions they have traditionally dominated, most are urging a return to this old-school mechanism in a bid to bridge the gap and develop better international preparedness.

Kohli’s Struggle Against Spin

What has been more worrying is his performance against the off-spinner. A batsman of Kohli’s class, who had dominated with aggressive, authoritative footwork and control against such bowlers, has averaged only 28.59 against them since 2021. For a batsman who had enslaved spinners on all kinds of pitches, this fall is a reflection of the trend that has to be taken seriously considering India’s lineup is still pretty dependent on Kohli’s contribution at No. 3 or 4.

According to experts, while each player has his own different technical and mental challenges, adapting to spin through domestic cricket can bring that kind of exposure that international match practice alone cannot provide. Joshi’s remarks, therefore, underlined a belief that without regular engagement in domestic tournaments, the finer nuances of tackling spin might have gone unnoticed and dearly cost India in high-stakes series.

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Restoring Connection with Roots

A few experts think that a collective return to domestic cricket can reboot the approach of the batting lineup against spin ahead of taking stock of the Pune Test and series defeat. Indian pitches demand a different set of skills, and only through repeated exposure in the domestic circuit can players build up the muscle memory and tactical resilience required to deal with quality spin.

As the World Test Championship gains momentum with key series coming up, this is one weakness India needs to get over. Arguably, the solution does not lie with international games but reconnecting with their roots at home, acquiring vital experience, and honing their spin game to avoid further setbacks.

FAQs

Q1. Why did India struggle against the New Zealand spin attack?

A: India’s top-order batsmen have appeared out of touch with spin, unable to adjust to a slow and turning Pune wicket. They are said to have lost their way a bit due to the absence of recent domestic cricket. It has influenced their technique and confidence.

Q2. What is the criticism about India’s current top order?

A: Experts believe that Kohli, Rohit, and the rest of the top-order batters are culprits in reducing domestic cricket participation to a minimal level domestic cricket participation that helps the batters to get fine-tuned against spinners. That impacts their approach against quality spinners.

Q3. How does India’s performance against spin compare to other Asian teams?

A: Where India’s top five batsmen have managed an average of 34.84 against spin in Asia since 2021, behind the likes of Pakistan at 44.46 and Sri Lanka at 42.19- essentially a situation that suggests there is room for improvement.

Q4. What is being done to better India’s batting against spin?

A: Getting top-order players into domestic cricket, on pitches that can take some turn, would help them to hone their skills and game sense against good spinners for the international demands ahead.