Gavaskar Points to Poor Fielding in India’s ODI Series Loss

India has suffered a historic defeat, losing their first-ever ODI series against New Zealand on the BlackCaps’ home soil. After winning the opening match, India collapsed in the remaining two games, with New Zealand clinching the series 2-1. The third ODI saw India fall short by 41 runs while chasing 338, despite Virat Kohli’s brilliant 54th ODI century of 124 runs.

Gavaskar’s Critical Assessment of Fielding Performance

Following the disappointing loss, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar didn’t hold back his criticism. Rather than blaming individual batsmen, Gavaskar identified fielding as the primary culprit behind India’s collapse. “I don’t want to take names, but certain individuals allowed singles to be taken very easily,” Gavaskar said, highlighting how the Men in Blue lacked proactive field placement. He praised Rohit Sharma’s speed and Virat Kohli’s athleticism on the field but insisted the overall fielding approach needed significant improvement.

New Zealand’s Strong Partnership Sealed the Victory

The turning point came when Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips built a devastating 219-run partnership for the fourth wicket, stretching across 31 overs without India breaking through. This partnership proved crucial in New Zealand reaching a total India couldn’t chase. While Kohli delivered with scores of 93, 23, and 124 across the series, his batting prowess couldn’t compensate for the team’s fielding vulnerabilities and lack of batting partnerships from the middle order.

India’s defeat marks a concerning trend following their whitewash by New Zealand two years ago, signaling deeper structural issues in the team’s approach to ODI cricket.