BENGALURU: 2024 will go down as the year of the big Test shocks. Shamar Joseph skittled through Australia in Brisbane in January. Bangladesh twice beat Pakistan in Pakistan in August and September. The Richter Scale would have given a substantial reading.
But there's a case to argue that the result in Bengaluru - New Zealand beating India in India for the first time since November 1988 - is right up there.
India had warmed up to the challenge of the Black Caps with a 2-0 win over Bangladesh, including one which was achieved inside seven sessions. On the other hand, New Zealand had a mixed build up to the campaign.
Last month, no play was possible in a Test in India against Afghanistan. Following that, they were blanked 2-0 in a series against Sri Lanka, one of which was an innings defeat. Post that series, Tim Southee resigned from captaincy.
Tom Latham, who had led the side on nine previous occasions, was asked to take control of a ship with a dodgy compass. To compound matters, Kane Williamson, making runs for fun, was ruled out of the first Test. This was pretty much going to be improbable for the Kiwis. That first session on Day Two made that thought redundant.
At the post-match press conference, captain Rohit Sharma was of the opinion that apart from the 'first three-four hours, I thought we played a very good Test'. It's true, no team should really be judged on what they do across a session of a Test. Especially a team as highly skilled as this one. Winning 18 consecutive Test series at home since 2013 is no mean feat. They remain the benchmark for all teams.
But are the first cracks starting to appear? From January 2013 to December 2022, the men's team lost twice in a decade. Think about it. Across 42 long-format matches, they lost two times. And those two losses were well spread out; 2017 (on an extreme pitch in Pune against Australia) and 2021 (where toss mattered a lot in Chennai against England).
Two losses across 10 years has now become three in 20 months. There may not be any flashing neon lights but it may well be the sound of a distant alarm.
It may be tempting to dismiss this result as a one-off based on 'misreading of the pitch' as Sharma suggested at the end of Day Two. But there are deeper issues. The batting transition has hit a snag. The question of who next after R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is coming ever closer and it's a question they can't keep kicking down the road.
It was very telling that Sharma didn't turn to Ashwin until the match was well and truly lost on the final day. It's true that this wasn't the offie's greatest Test but he has the numbers to back up his claim of being one of the country's greatest match-winners in this format. If you aren't going to trust him now, when are you going to trust him (on air, Dinesh Karthik wondered how much of a psychological blow this would be for the 38-year-old).
In the immediate term - for the second Test at Pune and the third one at Mumbai - they need to find a place for Sarfaraz Khan in the middle-order. He's an uncommon batter and he should be nurtured with a long-term goal in mind. However, that may mean curtains for KL Rahul as Shubman Gill, who took part in centre-wicket practice post the Test, will walk in as the designated No. 3.
Sharma was coy when asked what messages he would give to the three players between now and the Pune Test, beginning on Thursday.
"I'm not the person who talks to individuals after every single match," he said. "They know exactly where they stand in their careers, we don't change our mindset based on one game or one series. Messages are given to them quite early, at the start. I don't think I'm going to say anything different from what I have been saying to them. It's pretty simple, anyone who gets an opportunity will have to try and make an impact in the game. It's always nice to have these kinds of players waiting to play the game."
Starting a series slowly has been part of India's psyche for a long time. In 2024 itself, they lost the first to England in Hyderabad, began poorly against Bangladesh on the first morning and now this. However, Sharma pointed out that they have always come back strongly.
"You don't want to lose," he said. "We don't go in with the mindset of playing casual cricket. Even here, lots of good things happened. That three hours (on the second morning) isn't going to dictate what this team is. Because it will be very unfair for us to think about those three hours and start judging players and talk slightly differently. It's important to keep a consistent message in the group which is to try and find a way back whenever we have been put under pressure."
"Of course, we lost the Test. That's why it may not make sense about what I'm talking about but I honestly feel a lot of good things have happened in this match. Each and every one of us showed the correct attitude. Going forward, we know exactly what to expect."
India are still the favourites to come back and win the series. But the pinch of these losses, whilst infrequent, is starting to make its presence felt.
World Test Championship table
India 12 8 3 1 68.06
Australia 12 8 3 1 62.50
Sri Lanka 9 5 4 0 55.56
New Zealand 9 4 5 0 44.44
England 18 9 8 1 43.06
South Africa 6 2 3 1 38.89
From Jan 1, 2013 - Dec 31, 2022
Match 42, Won 34, Lost 2, Drawn 6
From Jan 1 2023 - Oct 20 2024
Match 13 Won 8 Lost 3 Drawn 1
India's last five losses
vs Australia, Pune 2017
vs England, Chennai 2021
vs Australia, Indore 2023
vs England, Hyderabad 2024
vs New Zealand, Bengaluru 2024
This is the first time India has lost two Tests in India in a calendar year since 2012. New Zealand are the third side to beat India in India in a Test since the beginning of 2013.