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Sunil Gavaskar points out red flags in India camp after New Zealand’s 2nd ODI win

Soumyajit Dutta

Sunil Gavaskar and Shubman Gill [Source: @ShubmanGill/X]Sunil Gavaskar and Shubman Gill [Source: @ShubmanGill/X]

Former India captain and current cricket commentator Sunil Gavaskar raised scathing questions about the Indian camp after New Zealand’s flawless win in the second ODI at Rajkot.

As Daryl Mitchell powered New Zealand to a series-levelling victory with an unbeaten 131, the Indian batting line-up struggled in the first innings, with only KL Rahul standing firm as the crisis man with a century to rescue India and help them post an average total on the board.

Sunil Gavaskar amazed at New Zealand’s resilience

Speaking on Jio Hotstar’s Amul Cricket Live, Sunil Gavaskar admitted that he was caught off guard by how easily New Zealand chased down the target, especially considering the slowness of the pitch, which many believed would be a decisive factor in the match.

"I was surprised by how easily New Zealand got across the line because, before they started batting, everyone thought India would be able to make use of the slowness of the pitch," Gavaskar said on the show.

Sunil Gavaskar explained that there was a general expectation that India would be able to restrict New Zealand to around 260 or 270 and defend the total comfortably.

"With their (New Zealand) bowlers, not just the spinners, but all of them, using the slowness of the surface well, it felt like India would be able to restrict New Zealand to around 260 or 270. I thought that would have been an easy win for India," he said.

Sunil Gavaskar praises Mitchell-Young duo

However, Gavaskar was full of praise for Mitchell and Will Young, who scored 87 runs, and lauded the 162-run partnership between the two that completely took the game away from India.

"I think they showed how a near-300 run total can be chased down, by taking your time to settle in and then backing your stroke-making ability and running between the wickets," Gavaskar said.

Red flags for India ahead of the 3rd ODI

He further pointed out that the third ODI in Indore would be a high-pressure contest for India, as there would be very little room for experimentation in the batting line-up with the series on the line.

"...had they won this game, they would have had the freedom to experiment a little, perhaps giving opportunities to those who haven't played so far. Someone like Jaiswal could have gotten a bit of a run as well,” Gavaskar added.

"All of that might have been possible. But now they can't take any chances. They have to play their best eleven again."

Despite KL Rahul’s fighting 112 on a slow afternoon pitch, India’s 284 proved insufficient. New Zealand paced the chase smartly, with Daryl Mitchell scoring his eighth ODI hundred to level the series.

With the third and final ODI scheduled to be played at the Indore stadium on January 18, the Indian team will be keen to put the Rajkot disappointment behind them and bounce back strongly to clinch the series.