Team India under the leadership of Virat Kohli has well and truly dominated the ICC Test Championship in the form of successive victories. However, during the ongoing tour of New Zealand, India suffered one of the heaviest defeats (10 wickets) at the hands of the Kiwis, as the first Test match ended inside four days at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
The hosts had all the tools to put an end to India’s unbeaten streak (after seven Test wins) in the ICC Test Championship. New Zealand were given a target of just nine runs in the second innings and they chased it in 1.4 overs and took the first lead in the two-match Test series.
The second and last Test match of the tour will be played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch starting from February 29, Saturday. While India’s veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the second Test.
Anyway, it would be quite interesting to see how India respond with the bowling unit which currently lacks confidence.
Losing the first Test is a blessing in disguise for us: Ravi Shastri
Meanwhile, Team India head coach Ravi Shastri described the first Test failure as a timely ‘shake-up’ for his players which will into the second match with an open mindset instead of a closed or fixed mindset.
Shastri said that the team is totally aware of the challenges and threats that New Zealand will pose over the next five days.
“I always believe when you are on a run like we were, a shake-up like that (first Test) is good because it opens your mindset. When you are on the road winning all the time and you haven’t tasted defeat, you can have a closed or fixed mindset,” India head coach Ravi Shastri said on the eve of the second Test in Christchurch.
However, India are still on the top of the ICC Test Championship points table with as many as 360 points and Shastri reckons that India need not to ‘panic’ after just one defeat in eight games.
“We played eight games (3 vs South Africa, 2 vs West Indies and 2 vs Bangladesh and 1 vs New Zealand) and won seven. For one loss, there is absolutely no need to panic. And neither is anyone looking in that direction in this team,” he added.