IND vs NZ: Gilchrist urges India to face 'hard questions' after 0-3 Whitewash
Xtra Time Web Desk: Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has advised the Indian cricket team to reflect deeply after being whitewashed 0-3 by New Zealand in their home Test series. On Sunday, India lost the third and final match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai by 25 runs, sealing a humiliating series defeat.
Following earlier losses in Bengaluru and Pune, India failed to recover, marking their first clean sweep on home soil in 25 years, the last being a 0-2 defeat to South Africa in 2000. Gilchrist emphasized that such a crushing series loss will prompt tough internal discussions within the Indian camp.
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"It does (have an impact), more for the Indian players and the Indian team internally. They have to be asking themselves pretty hard questions,” Gilchrist told Fox Sports.
He added that the weight of expectations from a passionate cricketing nation will put immense pressure on the Indian players moving forward. "I’m not expecting them to come out and be easy beats, but... I think that will raise some questions internally," Gilchrist said.
A BCCI official, speaking anonymously, revealed that the board will assess the future of several senior bowlers if India fails to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
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Gilchrist further noted that some of India's aging stars might begin questioning their own performances after such a demoralizing defeat. "There’s some high-class cricketers in that Indian squad. It’s going to be fascinating to see how they rebound from that challenge," he said.
India, now no longer leading the WTC 2023-25 points table, will look to bounce back when they face Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting with the Perth Test.
