3 big mistakes India made on Day 2 of 1st 2024 Test vs New Zealand
India's performance on Day 2 of the ongoing first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru has left fans and experts in complete disarray. Batting first, the home side collapsed and were bowled out for a mere 46 runs, which is their lowest-ever total in Tests in an innings at home.
Moreover, five Indian batters failed to even get off the mark, showing the struggles they faced as a batting unit. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the Indian team, led by skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir, made certain critical decisions that eventually backfired, putting the team in a precarious position moving ahead in the game.
The batting debacle and failure to contain the Kiwi batters thereafter can largely be attributed to three major mistakes that expose tactical errors that could have been avoided. The misjudgment of the conditions, team selection, and changing the batting order are some decisions that created unwanted pressure on the Indian side.
Having said that, here are the three big mistakes India made on Day 2 against New Zealand.
3 big mistakes India made on Day 2 of 1st 2024 Test vs New Zealand
#3 Leaving out Akash Deep from the playing XI
Team selection is always crucial to perform well in any game. While New Zealand fielded three pace bowlers in their lineup, India opted to go with three spinners despite the conditions being overcast.
Leaving out Akash Deep, a fast bowler who could have made a significant impact given the conditions, could prove to be a costly mistake. In previous domestic games at the venue, fast bowlers had taken the majority of the wickets, and the conditions, as evident from New Zealand's bowling display, also favored seamers early on.
Moreover, Akash Deep has been on the rise and in brilliant form, coming off a fine performance in the recent Test series against Bangladesh.
#2 Changing the batting order in the absence of Shubman Gill
A major error was the reshuffling of the batting order due to Shubman Gill's absence. With Gill ruled out due to a stiff neck, the Indian management decided to promote Virat Kohli to No.3, which is not his usual batting position in this format.
This is a position where he has historically struggled in Test cricket. He averages a poor 19 at No.3 in Tests and has no half-century either. The decision to change the batting order proved to be costly. Batting at this position in the format after eight years, Kohli failed and was dismissed for a duck.
The change disrupted the rhythm and India suffered a horrible collapse as the batters to follow also struggled to make substantial contributions to the total.
#1 Winning the toss and batting first
Probably one of the biggest mistakes by India on Day 2 came right at the toss. After winning the toss, Rohit opted to bat first. With rain having washed out the first day's play and conditions being overcast at the beginning of Day 2, batting first did not seem to be the right choice.
The pitch and weather conditions favored the New Zealand pacers, who took full advantage and bundled India out. Bowling first in such conditions would have been a smarter choice, which would have also allowed the hosts to assess the conditions while putting pressure on the opposition batters.
The decision to bat first backfired as the hosts struggled to cope against New Zealand's pace attack. India's top order crumbled quickly. The pressure of batting first in tricky conditions certainly reflected and the batters could not recover. Had India chosen the bowl first, they have been able to make better use of the conditions.