Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar shared his verdict on the team's humiliating ODI series defeat to New Zealand. He pointed out the major flaw present in the team and it lies in their batting department. He remarked that the team failed to get off to strong starts in all the three matches and highlighted it as a big reason behind their defeat. Gavaskar further opined that the team could have won the third ODI if Virat Kohli got substantial support from the other end.
India's shaky starts in the series
The opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill weren't able to form massive partnerships throughout the series. India lost their first wicket for 39 runs in the series opener before the two formed a robust 70-run stand in the second ODI. This proved to be their best partnership of the assignment as in the final ODI, the partnership came to an end at just 28 runs.
“Unless Virat Kohli got substantial support, it was always going to be difficult, and he got very little of it. The real problem for India throughout the series has been the starts. As they say, well begun is half done. India never began well, and that’s one of the main reasons they weren’t able to chase these big scores," Gavaskar said on JioStar.
Batting order underperforms massively in 3rd ODI
Gavaskar further explained how a mini batting collapse in the third ODI played a crucial role in India's defeat in the third ODI. The hosts were down to 71/4 at one stage and had lost the entire top-order. An 88-run partnership between Virat and Nitish Kumar Reddy followed, but it wasn't able to take the team anywhere close to the target of 338. In the end, India got bundled out for 296 runs and lost the match comprehensively by 41 runs.
“When you lose someone in good form like KL Rahul, and then you have Nitish Kumar Reddy, who hadn’t really done justice to his ability until this innings of 53, and Harshit Rana, someone you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get, it becomes an uphill climb," Gavaskar stated.
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Meanwhile, India will now be facing New Zealand in a five-match T20I series and this will be their final assignment before the 2026 T20 World Cup. The series will begin from January 21 and the first match will be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Maharashtra.