Team India commenced the two-match Test series versus New Zealand, in February-March, with high hopes of upsetting the home side in their own backyard. Coming into the series as the No. 1 ranked side in the longest format of the game, the Virat Kohli-led India were expected to fight hard versus the Kiwis but the opposite happened as they were whitewashed 2-0.
Indian batsmen fared poorly throughout the course of the series with the big guns like Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and few others failing to make a mark. While the Indian pacers fought hard with their Kiwi counterparts, they also fell behind as the quadrant of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami combined to claim only 18 wickets as compared to Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee’s overall tally (34).
“I think India have been travelling very well in the last ten or so years. What happened in New Zealand, I think it’s more of an aberration, I think coming off so much one-day and T20 cricket, it might have been tough for them in the Test arena outside of India. But I think India is still maybe the best travelling team in the world” Brian Lara came in India’s support and told ESPNCricinfo.
