The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, faced a clean sweep in the three-match Test series at home against New Zealand. Now, India is set to play the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia in a five-match Test series starting on November 22 in Australia. Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is pleased with India’s crushing defeat by New Zealand, as he believes that when Indian players enter the BGT, their confidence might be shaken, potentially benefiting Australia.
‘The New Zealand Series Result is Good for Us’
Hazlewood told the Sydney Morning Herald that after the clean sweep, the Indian players might be able to bounce back, but clearly, a 3-0 loss is better for them than a 3-0 win. He thinks it may have slightly dented their confidence. Many of their batsmen have played in Australia before, but some haven’t, so there could be some uncertainty among them. He added, “You can’t read too much into it, but the result is somewhat favorable for us. Credit goes to the Kiwis; they played excellent cricket.”
Gilchrist Calls Rohit’s Brigade ‘Wounded Lions’
While Hazlewood is glad about India’s loss, former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist described Rohit’s brigade as ‘wounded lions.’ Gilchrist told Fox Sports, “There will be an impact (from losing the series), especially on the Indian players and internally within the Indian team. They’ll have to ask some tough questions of themselves.” He added, “I don’t expect them to be easily beaten, but looking at the fact that they suffered a clean sweep – I can’t recall the last time that happened to them, let alone losing a series comprehensively. I think this defeat will raise some internal questions.”
‘Interesting to See How Indian Players Respond’
Gilchrist also mentioned that India has the resilience to reorganize after this setback. He stated, “There are some aging players in the Indian team who might start doubting themselves a bit. But there are also some high-caliber players in their squad. It’ll be interesting to see how they bounce back from this challenge.” Notably, the 0-3 loss to New Zealand marks one of India’s heaviest defeats in Test history, as it’s the first time they’ve lost a three-match Test series at home. This defeat has also dealt a blow to India’s hopes of making it to the World Test Championship (WTC) final.