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Did Rohit Sharma And Gautam Gambhir Err By Opting For Turning Track In Pune Test?

Bhargav Dixit

Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma inspect the pitch. [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma inspect the pitch. [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X]

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What is common between Steve O’Keefe, Dom Bess, Jack Leach, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Joe Root and Tom Hartley? As spinners of varying nature, experience and talent, they have the distinction of playing pivotal roles in winning Test matches for their respective teams in India.

In spite of multiple political differences prevailing for decades, one thing which India and Pakistan have in common is their penchant for turning tracks in desperate situations. Trailing by 0-1 in a three-match Test series this month, both the neighbours fell back on pitches which turn square from Day 1.

There is no polite way to say it but anyone who thinks that a rank-turner guarantees India a Test victory at home has to be living under a rock. Are Indian spinners no longer a threat at home? They are. Absolutely. No one is doubting their prowess. However, it’s the batters who let them down more often than not these days.

One doesn’t really have to dig deep into history to find evidences of Indian batters’ struggles against spin. Dwindling form of legendary batters in a transitioning team has made such instances common across formats of late. In that case, why did the Indian team management endorse a turning track for the ongoing second Test against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium? To stage a comeback after losing the first match of a three-match series.

Was there any downside to the move? A massive one. First Test series loss since 2012. For context, India captain Rohit Sharma hadn’t made his Test debut when England defeated India 2-1 in a four-match series 12 years ago. Currently coaching the national team, former batter Gautam Gambhir was the biggest name to face the axe from the Test squad in the aftermath of that loss under MS Dhoni. Gambhir, who played only four more Tests, hadn’t played one for the next 21 months.

Since that series, India lost a home Test each in 2017, 2021 and 2023. A phenomenally unmatched legacy might come to an end as India are on the verge of their third home Test loss in 2024.

Did Rohit Sharma And Gautam Gambhir Err By Opting For Turning Track In Pune Test?

First things first, India neither lost the match nor the series till Stumps, Day 2. But with New Zealand leading by 301 runs with five wickets in hand in the second innings, even a miraculous turnaround might fall short from an Indian perspective.

Gambhir, whose first series as a head coach saw India losing 27 (most by a team in a three-match ODI series) out of 30 wickets to spin, is in likeliness of coaching India to their first home Test series loss after as many as 18 series.

Therefore, the aforementioned question doesn’t essentially need an answer. Then why did India resort to a spin-friendly surface? Because Indian cricket still presumes it as a safe space. In reality, however, this safe space no longer provides an assurance of safety. Over the last decade or so, it has become a cushion which doesn’t offer any comfort.

What Do Numbers Suggest?

If truth be told, the era featuring Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman was India’s pinnacle against spin bowling. The quartet setting unrealistic standards makes us question the contemporary batters time and again.

Between 2006-2011, Indian batters used to average 46.43 against spin – slightly more than their average between 1990-2011. That said, the number fell down to 34.22 between 2012-2015. While no one could outperform the Indian batters in this context between 2006-2011, Indians could only outperform the English between 2012-2015.

Speaking particularly of the current generation, they just don’t seem to be learning the art of facing spin at home. As a result, an average of 63.36 between 2016-2020 came down to 37.56 2021 onwards (until the start of this home season). While opposition spinners used to average (49.86) the worst against Indian batters between 2016-2020, it has improved manifold times to 35.50 since 2021.

As per India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, Indian batters have compromised on honing their skills against spin because they’re “desperate to do well overseas”. Having said that, one must not forget that Indian batters have struggled against former England all-rounder Moeen Ali on two separate tours of England to extend their spin-related woes outside India as well.

What Has Gone Wrong?

Due to the wide popularity of T20s, the art of defending has received a major hit worldwide. Taking into consideration the financial perks of T20 leagues, batters, as normal human beings, have understandably taken refuge in power-hitting to let their defensive techniques suffer big time.

Although unintentionally, T20s have also affected the quality of spinners which Indian batters face in domestic cricket. With this crop of bowlers specializing in throwing darts in Powerplay overs, one doesn’t expect them to trouble A-list Indian batters in first-class competitions.

But wait. Do first-choice Indian batters really care to partake in first-class tournaments? And that perhaps is the biggest reason behind the diminishing defensive traits which used to come naturally to Indian batters at one point in time.