Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has criticised Team India's decision to play on rank turners like Pune after the Test series defeat against New Zealand. Harbhajan blamed the spin-friendly tracks for having an impact of Ajinkya Rahane's Test career. He went on to say that the current Indian batters have lost the confidence to play in these conditions.
"Look at the trend over the last decade. We are playing mostly on turners with the hope that we will win the toss, score 300, and control the game. But we don't know if we have the batting to wriggle out on turners. Our batters have lost a lot of confidence playing on these tracks. The biggest example is Ajinkya Rahane, a fine player. His career suffered because of these kinds of surfaces," Harbhajan told PTI as he did not mince his words while questioning the approach.
"If you have had a great record at home for so long and if you lose, obviously there will be chatter. Credit to New Zealand for playing the way they did; these were alien conditions and also not a pitch where wear and tear was natural. It was a tailor-made condition for spinners where the ball was supposed to turn from the first hour," he added.
Rahane has been out of the side since the tour of West Indies. The Mumbai captain does not have an impressive record in India. He has scored 1,644 runs from 32 Tests on Indian soil at an average of 35.73 including four centuries and eight fifties. He is known for his exploits in overseas conditions.
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SENA countries provide more balance
Harbhajan futher explained his point how pitches in SENA countries favour the hosts too but are not unplayable for batters. He took Virat Kohli's example to further lay emphasis.
"We always get into whataboutery that they (SENA countries) also prepare pitches as per their needs, but those aren't pitches where you can't even bat. Those pitches go through natural wear and tear over time. Here, if you don't know which ball will turn and which one will go straight, you are forever fighting doubts about whether to attack or defend. Even Virat Kohli has fared well abroad in the last few years, where the ball comes onto the bat."
"Now you have three bad home Tests on these tracks, but selectors know you are a good player and take you on overseas tours. By then, not having runs under your belt starts playing havoc with your mindset. You also fail in a couple of overseas Tests, and suddenly, you are out of the team. Is that a good thing?" asked the 44-year-old.
Crucial clash ahead of Australia tour
After losing the Test series, India will take on the Kiwis in the final Test at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The Test is crucial considering India’s chances of making to to World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. It will also give the Rohit Sharma-led side confidence ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.