Rohit Sharma’s journey in Test cricket in 2024 has been a challenging one, with his leadership facing scrutiny, especially after India’s unexpected 0-3 defeat to New Zealand at home. Earlier this year, India had pulled off a remarkable comeback against England, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 series win. This success had solidified their position as one of the frontrunners for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. Given their consistent home record and a New Zealand side with only two previous Test wins on Indian soil, many expected India to dominate the three-match series. Yet, Tom Latham’s New Zealand team defied all expectations, sweeping the series 3-0 and dealing Rohit Sharma a historic setback.
Rohit’s leadership in this series marked an unwelcome first, as he became the only Indian captain to lose a Test series 3-0 at home. The Kiwis, too, set a new record by becoming the first team to clinch a 3-0 Test series win on Indian soil. Since taking over the captaincy from Virat Kohli, Rohit has led India in 15 Tests at home, with four of those resulting in defeats. The latest series loss also marked India’s first home Test series defeat in over 11 years—since MS Dhoni’s side went down 2-1 to England in 2012.
The series began on a sour note with a loss in Pune by 133 runs, signaling trouble for the Indian side. The struggle continued in Bengaluru, where they were bowled out for a mere 46 runs in the first innings, a score that left the team reeling and from which they could not recover. The final Test in Mumbai appeared to be India’s last opportunity to salvage the series, with a target of 147 runs in sight. Rishabh Pant provided a glimmer of hope, scoring an aggressive 64, but his teammates couldn’t offer much resistance. Pant’s departure at 64 left the rest of the batting order exposed, and India eventually folded for 121 in just 29.1 overs. Once India’s top order collapsed to 29 for five in a mere 7.1 overs, they struggled against New Zealand’s spin duo, Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips, who effectively sealed India’s fate in the match.
Now, India faces a difficult task to secure their spot in the WTC final. With Australia sitting atop the WTC standings and emerging as strong contenders to reach the final at Lord's, India must win their upcoming Border-Gavaskar series against Australia 4-0 to ensure direct qualification. Anything short of that would mean relying on other results to go in their favor. The upcoming series will be crucial, not only for India's WTC campaign but also for Rohit Sharma’s leadership as he seeks to restore his team’s confidence and re-establish their dominance at home.
