IND vs NZ: 3 reasons why India lost the ODI series

For the first time in history, India lost an ODI series against New Zealand at home. In the 3rd ODI at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, New Zealand defeated India, the hosts, by 41 runs, and with this, they successfully won the 3-match ODI series 2-1. This is India’s second consecutive home series loss against New Zealand. Before this ODI series, India also lost a three-match Test series 0-3 against New Zealand at home in 2024. 

In the series decider, thanks to Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips’ centuries, New Zealand scored 337/8 in 50 overs. In response, the Indian team bowled out only 296 runs in 46 overs. The New Zealand team outclassed the Indian team across all departments. In this article, we’re going to explore 3 major reasons why India lost the 3rd ODI & series as well. 

1. Middle-overs bowling concern

Indian skipper Shubman Gill invited the New Zealand team to bat first after winning the toss. The decision was looking good when Indian bowlers took 3 early breakthroughs in just 58 runs. But after that, Indian bowlers once again struggled in the middle overs. From 12.1 overs to 43.1 overs, the Indian team wasn't able to take a wicket. Skipper Shubman Gill constantly changed their bowlers, but no one could take a wicket.

Daryl Mitchell, once again, stood against the Indian bowling attack. Glenn Phillips also contributed to him. Both hit individual centuries and made a 219-run partnership for the 4th wicket. Mitchell scored 137 runs in 131 balls, including 15 fours and 3 sixes, while Phillips scored 106 runs in 88 balls, with 9 fours and 3 sixes. Thanks to their incredible partnership, New Zealand successfully managed to cross the 300-run mark and put a mammoth score of 337 runs on the scoreboard. 

2. Rohit Sharma’s poor form & top order breakdown

In this series, former skipper Rohit Sharma’s failure became one of the major reasons for this series defeat. He scored only 61 runs in 3 innings, with a below-average of 20.33. His highest cricket score of this series was 26, which he scored in the 1st ODI at Vadodara. In the 2nd and 3rd ODIs, his struggle continued, and he was dismissed after scoring 28 and 7 runs, respectively. Apart from Rohit, Shreyas Iyer also could manage only 60 runs in 3 innings. In this series, Harshit Rana (83 runs in 3 innings, including a fifty) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (73 runs in 2 innings, including a fifty) have scored more runs than Rohit and Shreyas. If Rohit and Iyer scored a little bit more, the series scoreline might be in India’s favour.

3. Fielding lapses, spinners' failure

Although the Indian side has a reputation for having a strong fielding unit, during the India vs. New Zealand ODI series, Indian fielding appeared to be quite unimpressive. Fielders frequently dropped crucial catches, gave up easy singles and boundaries, and allowed NZ batters to post an enormous total.

Furthermore, India’s spin attack underperformed throughout the series. Kuldeep Yadav managed only three wickets across three matches, one in each game, and consistently leaked runs. In Vadodara, he conceded 52 runs in 9 overs for one wicket; in Rajkot, he gave away 82 runs in 10 overs for a single wicket; and in Indore, he conceded 48 runs in just 6 overs, again picking up only one wicket. He conceded 52 runs in 9 overs for one wicket in Vadodara, 82 runs in 10 overs for one wicket in Rajkot, and 48 runs in just 6 overs for one wicket in Indore.

Apart from Kuldeep, Ravindra Jadeja’s ODI form was equally concerning. He failed to take a wicket in the entire series and proved expensive in all matches, conceding 56 runs in 9 overs at Vadodara, 44 runs in 8 overs at Rajkot, and 41 runs in 6 overs at Indore.