New Zealand v India 2020: 3 tactics that India should have gone for in the Test series
It was a series to forget for India. The belief which was developing of India becoming a world-beater is diminished for now. With a clarified view, we will discern the reasons behind such an embarrassing loss.
The pattern was the same in both the games, a poor start at the top meant massive pressure on the middle order to score big runs which didn't happen. No support from the lower half implied an under-par score to defend each time for the bowlers who weren't at their best either. Here's a list of 3 things which Virat Kohli should have done differently versus New Zealand.
#3 Including KL Rahul in the Test team
Though his test stats doesn't do any justice to his sheer talent, however, KL Rahul had done more than enough to get a recall into the team. Such phases of batting come only once or twice in a batman's career where everything goes his way. Rahul is in such phase right now. And it is India's loss more than Rahul's that his form isn't being utilised to the fullest.
India had a massively inexperienced opening pair and with the injury to Rohit Sharma, it was blatantly basic to have some experience at the top. New Zealand's tough pitches weren't the place for Prithvi Shaw to make his comeback, and Mayank Agarwal's patchy form made the matters worse for India.
Having a solid opener has a massive psychological benefit, his batting sends the image of the pitch to the minds of the entire batting order. Unfortunately for India, Shaw and Agarwal could never do what Tom Latham and Tom Blundell did for New Zealand.
Note: All statistics are as of March 4, 2020