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The second Test match between India and New Zealand in Pune witnessed a heated debate surrounding Rohit Sharma's captaincy, with former India coach Ravi Shastri voicing his dissatisfaction with the team's overly defensive approach. The criticism stemmed from the second session of Day 2, where Shastri and former India spinner Murali Kartik engaged in a detailed discussion about Rohit's tactical decisions. Kartik observed that the New Zealand batters, Tom Latham and Will Young, had effectively pushed the Indian fielders back, leaving no one close to the bat. This aggressive batting prompted Rohit to spread the field, aiming to contain their scoring rate.
Shastri, however, disagreed with this strategy, emphasizing that with India trailing by over 100 runs, they needed to focus on bowling out New Zealand quickly, ideally within 120 runs. He argued that an attacking field placement was crucial to generate wickets, and criticized the tactic of spreading the field as soon as a bowler conceded a few runs. Shastri believed that this defensive approach discouraged the bowlers from focusing on taking wickets and instead encouraged a defensive mindset. He emphasized the importance of having fielders in aggressive positions, creating pressure and opportunities for dismissals.
Shastri's criticism came in the wake of a disappointing performance by the Indian team, who fell to 156 all out in their first innings, gifting New Zealand a first-innings lead of 103. The New Zealand spinners, especially Mitchell Santner, exploited the turning Pune pitch to their advantage, with Santner claiming a remarkable 7-53. This significant lead, coupled with their aggressive batting in the second innings, put New Zealand on the brink of a historic series win in India, a feat they have never achieved. As the match progressed, New Zealand's lead continued to grow, with skipper Tom Latham's 86 runs pushing them to a commanding position, leaving India with a challenging task ahead to salvage the match.
Source: 2nd Test: Ravi Shastri fumes over Rohit Sharma's defensive captaincy on Day 2