Why is India losing to New Zealand?

 Team India has just broken an 11-year streak, marking a significant shift in their performance. For the first time since 2013, India has lost a test series at home, ending an 18-series winning streak, the longest in the history of cricket. This year, India seemed unstoppable in tests, winning 7 out of 8 matches with only one loss, and that too by a narrow margin. The unexpected upset by the Kiwis has left many cricket enthusiasts wondering what went wrong.

Firstly, a plausible issue could be with the new coach, Gautam Gambhir. He mentored KKR in IPL 2024 and helped them lift a third IPL championship title. He was appointed the head coach of India's team. He has a mentality of aggression. He has the mentality to constantly hit and aggressively bowl. His bowling mentality has helped India win multiple matches, and the fact that he asks the batters to hit aggressively has helped India, too, like in the case of the 'Kanpur Heist' or the 297 in a T20I. However, this constant aggression has caused India to collapse from good situations. As the saying goes, "Constant hitting will get you out in no time".

Another question is the case of India's middle order. They collapsed like a pack of dominoes. No disrespect or anything; these cricketers are class. But later, India lost many wickets, making few runs after 2d or 3d. In fact, some I feel that players play for the sake of playing and usually just add 20-40 runs per game.

One crucial point is to note the exclusion of batters like Rahane, Vihari, and Pujara. These batters used to play very slowly, but they added runs and didn't give away their wicket. However, as India tried to shift to a more aggressive style, these players were dropped. Test cricket lasts five days, and our batter's bat lasts for one. These batsmen consumed balls and balls, forming long partnerships and making runs. India would play much better if these batsmen were included.

All in all, India needs to make changes to the XI and change their playstyle. I feel that India can play much better than this. I hope India's team plays better in upcoming tests and wins the BGT. This is my opinion on the test side, and I hope you enjoyed reading this. Follow along to read some possible blogs on the BGT if you liked this blog.

*Note: This is an opinion. I wish to not hurt any feelings of anybody.