"Don Bradman of Flat pitches, Babar Azam of Live pitches"- Top 10 funny memes after India's dramatic batting collapse in 2nd Test vs New Zealand 2024
Team India's batting unit faced the wrath of the fans after they failed miserably in the first innings of the second Test against New Zealand on Friday, October 25. The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune is hosting the clash. The hosts are already 1-0 down in the three-match series after a deflating loss in Bengaluru last week.
New Zealand batted first on Day 1 after winning the toss and scoring 259 runs on a slow-turning surface. India then got off to a poor start as Rohit Sharma departed for a nine-ball duck. Shubman Gill (30) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) then played watchfully and tried to build the innings with a 49-run partnership for the second wicket.
Mitchell Santner broke the promising stand in the morning session of Day 2 by dismissing Shubman Gill, which triggered a collapse. Santner spun a web around the Indian batters and picked up a magnificent seven-wicket haul to bundle them for 156. Only Ravindra Jadeja (38) fought hard and got some runs, while the rest of the batters threw their wickets away, pushing India into a dire situation.
Fans were disappointed with Indian top and middle-order batters for their poor performance in the first innings of the second Test against New Zealand. They expressed their reactions by sharing hilarious memes on X.
One of the fans wrote:
"Don Bradman of Flat pitches and Babar Azam of Live pitches."
Here are some of the best memes:
"Has to tighten his defense a little more"- Sanjay Manjrekar on India captain Rohit Sharma after his 9-ball duck in 2nd Test vs New Zealand in Pune
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar analyzed Rohit Sharma's defensive technique after his dismissal in the first innings of the Pune Test and opined that it needs to be tightened a bit.
Discussing the matter on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said:
"Yes, the defense is a concern. Temperamentally, this guy is brilliant. He just maybe has to tighten his defense a little more. And I saw that happen in the second innings in the last Test. He looked good, but clearly first innings, when there is a little bit in the pitch that same... We used to talk about Rohit Sharma's loose defense at the start of his international career. He would not take a step forward and would just react with the bat. That is starting to happen [again]."
"When he had that fantastic series in England, he was doing the same thing. The front pad never goes as much down the pitch as a Virat [Kohli] does. But, he was able to leave balls outside the off stump. I think they have worked out a way to bowl to Rohit Sharma. He was made to play that ball [by Southee]. That happened in the first Test as well," he added.
Do you agree with Manjrekar's views above? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.