'Embarrassing, Terrible': Sehwag and Pathan React to India's Test Series Loss

In the wake of India's shocking 0-3 Test series defeat against New Zealand, former cricketers expressed their dismay and called for serious reflection on the team's performance. The loss, which marked India's first home whitewash in Test history, drew sharp criticism from legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Harbhajan Singh.

Following the third Test, which India lost by 25 runs at Wankhede Stadium, Tendulkar emphasized the need for introspection, questioning whether the team's failure stemmed from a lack of preparation, poor shot selection, or insufficient match practice. He highlighted Rishabh Pant's resilience, noting his impressive contributions in both innings, but overall, the team's performance was deemed unacceptable.

Sehwag echoed this sentiment on social media, labeling the series a "terrible performance" and emphasizing the need for the team to refine their skills against spin. He noted that while some experimentation may be beneficial in shorter formats, the Test format requires stability and consistency. He congratulated New Zealand for their remarkable achievement in becoming the first visiting team to sweep India in a Test series.

The series exposed significant weaknesses in India's batting against spin, with New Zealand's bowlers claiming 37 of the 57 wickets taken during the matches. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner led the charge in Pune with 13 wickets, and in Mumbai, Ajaz Patel shone with an impressive 11-wicket haul.

Harbhajan Singh criticized the nature of the pitches used, stating that they hindered the performance of batsmen and that any bowler could achieve success on such surfaces. He called for India to play on better pitches to develop their batting capabilities, arguing that the current conditions favored bowlers excessively.

Irfan Pathan added to the discourse by highlighting the decline of red-ball cricket in India and its potential impact on player development. He expressed disappointment in the team's performance and pointed out the lack of quality turning tracks in domestic competitions, which could be detrimental to the players' skills against spin bowling.

Reactions to the defeat extended beyond India, with former England captain Michael Vaughan praising New Zealand's historic clean sweep and noting that India's current batting lineup struggles against spin like many other teams. Ian Bishop of the West Indies commended New Zealand's achievement, considering it a remarkable turnaround from their previous series loss in Sri Lanka.

As India prepares for their upcoming tour of Australia, they face the challenge of overcoming this significant setback. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the horizon, the team will need to address the issues highlighted by former players to restore confidence and performance levels.