India's batting lineup faced a disastrous performance in the IND vs NZ series, crumbling in the third Test and failing to chase a modest target of 146 runs. New Zealand’s dominant bowling handed India their first-ever whitewash in a three-match Test series at home. Aside from Rishabh Pant's aggressive and dominant display, the Indian batters consistently faltered, suffering collapses throughout the series.

In light of this crushing defeat at Wankhede Stadium, former Indian legend Anil Kumble harshly criticized the team management, specifically targeting head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma. Kumble questioned their decision to prepare rank-turning pitches for the series, especially when the Indian batters struggled so much against spin. While initially asking not to lay all the blame on the batters, Kumble expressed his view that the players lacked the skills to handle spin effectively.

He voiced frustration over the decision to create spinning tracks like those seen in Pune and Mumbai, suggesting that it put undue pressure on the Indian batters. “Don’t blame the batters – you give a rank turner and expect them to chase 150 in the fourth innings. The captain and coach should be asked why they gave a rank turner when they knew the batters weren’t that capable,” Kumble said.