Harbhajan Singh Defends Indian Batters, Criticizes Pitch After Historic Loss to New Zealand

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh joined the conversation, responding to fans' criticism of the batters and raising questions about the state of the pitch.

Harbhajan's Sharp Response to Pitch Debate

On Day 3 of the Mumbai Test, India, chasing a modest target of 147, were bowled out for just 121. Rishabh Pant was the only batter to stand out with a valiant 64, while the rest of the lineup crumbled, with no other player crossing the 15-run mark. New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel proved unplayable, taking 11 wickets in the match.

Following the debacle, a fan on social media commented that earlier generations of Indian batters had faced spin legends like Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, yet managed better results. Harbhajan Singh promptly countered this argument on X (formerly Twitter), criticizing the pitch rather than the players' skills.

"Earlier generations batsman's never played on these kind of tracks. These tracks are prepared for 2/3 day Test matches. You don't need Murli, Warne, or Saqi on these pitches to get teams out. Anyone can get anyone out," Harbhajan wrote.

Rohit Sharma Takes Responsibility

Amid the heavy criticism, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma owned up to the team's failures during the post-match press conference, calling the series loss a career low point.

"Something like this will be a very low point of my career, and I take full responsibility for it," Rohit admitted. He also acknowledged that the team failed to deliver its best cricket, with New Zealand outperforming India in all aspects.

"Losing a series, a Test match, is never easy... something that is not easily digestible. We didn't play our best cricket. New Zealand played better throughout the series. There were a lot of mistakes we did," Rohit conceded.

Criticism and Reflection

While the loss has put the spotlight on the form of senior players like Rohit and Kohli, the poor performance has also highlighted deeper issues within the team. Critics have pointed to questionable pitch preparation, inadequate strategies, and lackluster performances from the middle order.

Looking Ahead

As India prepares for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, the team will need to quickly regroup and address its shortcomings. Harbhajan’s comments underscore the challenges of playing on difficult pitches, but the responsibility also lies with the players to adapt and deliver under challenging conditions.

With the stakes high for the series in Australia, Team India faces mounting pressure to turn things around and restore confidence in their Test lineup.