‘Senior players need to step up’- Irfan Pathan urges star Indian players to save team from slipping in Test cricket

New Zealand won the second Test match at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Day 3 by 113 runs, defeating the home team, India. In the first Test match in Bengaluru, the Indian team had already lost to the Kiwis by eight wickets. India lost a home Test series for the first time in twelve years with the Pune defeat. Notably, they were thrashed by England in their most recent Test series at home in 2012.

The poor batting of the Rohit Sharma-led team was evident in both Test matches. Additionally, the nation, which has some excellent hitters who are masters of spin, witnessed its batters giving away their wickets to players like Mitchell Santner, who claimed 13 wickets. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan congratulated the Kiwis and encouraged the team’s senior players to accept responsibility for the disastrous defeat.

Congratulations to New Zealand for winning the series in India! There is much for Team India to consider. Senior players must stand up and perform in the game’s most competitive format. For them, the next three months will be critical,” Pathan wrote on Twitter.

Here’s Pathan’s latest post on ‘X’:  

Well done, New Zealand, on winning the series on Indian soil! For Team India, there’s a lot to reflect on. Senior players need to step up and deliver in the ultimate format of the game. The next three months will be crucial for them.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 26, 2024

Players in their senior year perform poorly.

Santner removed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the game in both innings, according to the senior players. Furthermore, despite batting four innings in two games thus far, neither batter has contributed to the total number of runs scored. Even though Rohit has amassed 62 runs at an average of 15.50, Kohli has amassed 88 runs at an average of 22.

Also Read: ‘We didn’t bat well in the first innings’- Rohit Sharma reflects on 2nd Test loss to New Zealand

However, even experienced players like Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have not been able to recreate their typical ball-playing styles. Each spinner has taken six wickets at an average of 37.50 and 43.50 over four innings.