NE WDELHI: New Zealand stunning India 3-0 at home for an unprecedented series win has left Australia wary as pacer Josh Hazlewood feels that the embarrassing loss might awaken a ‘sleeping giant’ ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
The Kiwis on Sunday completed a stunning series sweep, handing India their first-ever 3-0 whitewash at home.
With the marquee series set to commence from November 22 in Australia, Hazlewood said that the loss against the Kiwis might have shaken India’s confidence and they aren’t sure what to expect from Rohit Sharma and Co.
“It might awaken a sleeping giant, so to speak. We will see that when they come out,” Hazlewood told Sydney Morning Herald.
“It is obviously better them losing 3-0 than winning 3-0, easily. The confidence might have taken a bit of a hit. A lot of them have been out here (in Australia), but there is a few batters who have not, so they will be a bit unsure of what to expect. I do not think you can read too much into it. The results are obviously good for us in a way.”
“Credit to the Kiwi boys. They played outstanding cricket. To win 3-0 in India is unbelievable. It’s hard enough to win one game there, let alone every match of the series,” he said.
The Indian team experienced a series of batting collapses throughout the series against the BlackCaps.
In the Bengaluru Test, India was dismissed for a mere 46 runs in the first innings on a seaming pitch under overcast conditions. Despite gaining a lead, they suffered another collapse in their second innings, as New Zealand hunted down the 107-run target.
The second Test saw India bowl out New Zealand for 259 runs. However, their batting faltered once again, resulting in a total of 156 runs. Chasing 359 runs for victory, the Indian batsmen disappointed once more, getting dismissed for 245 runs after a promising start.
The third and final Test in Mumbai was another low-scoring encounter. India were set a target of 147 runs, seemingly their easiest chase of the series. But despite a fighting half-century from Rishabh Pant, the batting lineup crumbled, ultimately bowled out for 121 runs.
The India vs Australia series commences on November 22 with the first Test taking place in Perth. Adelaide Oval will host the second Test from December 6th to 10th, featuring the captivating day-night format under lights. Brisbane’s Gabba will be the venue for the third Test, scheduled from December 14th to 18th. The traditional Boxing Day Test, slated for December 26th to 30th at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the penultimate stage of the series. The series will culminate with the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3rd to 7th, promising an exciting conclusion to a thrilling contest.
India’s squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
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