A sporting bastion is under threat: India’s white-ball dominance in 50-over cricket. Such has been India’s supremacy over the format that, except for Australia, no nation has come close to upsetting them from their perch atop the throne at home. But over the last 14 months, a slow shift has been caused by another team from the southern hemisphere—New Zealand. First, they handed India a 0-3 drubbing in home Tests. And this time, they secured a 2-1 ODI series win on Sunday. It was disconcerting that India lost the last two games readily after setting decent targets and then chasing under the lights. Over the last 16 years, India had lost only four out of the 30 home ODI series, but none to New Zealand. To add to the chagrin, the Kiwis achieved this feat with their second-string bowling attack.
One can point out that India will not be playing ODIs for the next six months, when the build-up for the 2027 ODI World Cup begins. However, losing an ODI series months after a 0-2 Test defeat against South Africa does not augur well for the team and its management. The latest loss will add pressure on head coach Gautam Gambhir a couple of weeks before the T20 World Cup begins at home. When India lost to South Africa in Tests, Gambhir had said he was the same coach who had helped India win the Champions Trophy (50-over format) and draw a Test series under new captain Shubman Gill in England. He reiterated that the Test series loss against New Zealand in 2024 was with a different set of players.
But there is enough indication that not everything is alright in the India dressing room. Virat Kohli seems to be in the form of his life. But apart from that spark, there are several concerns. A few key players are injured and there is a lack of clarity on roles. Gill was dropped at the last minute. The effectiveness of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja is under the scanner. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to walk in when India play an ODI next. Yet, before the T20 World Cup at home, India would have loved to avoid such an embarrassment. After all, it’s a win that galvanises a team.