IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma the Worst - Report Card of India Batters amid series Whitewash

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The cricketing world witnessed another shocking nadir of the Indian team as they suffered a series whitewash against New Zealand.

The 3rd and final Test also went in the Kiwis way, as India lost the match by 25 runs. On a turning track at the Wankhede, Rohit Sharma and his men lasted less than 30 overs while chasing 147 runs, thus suffering a 3-0 series defeat.

It has been a horrific series for India, but the manner of the defeats and the suicidal tactics and performances have baffled the fans and experts alike. Apart from Rishabh Pant, none of the Indian batters have been up to the mark in the entire series. And their inability to tackle spin was evident on Sunday, when the gladiators of Indian cricket stumbled yet again in front of Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips.

Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill had no answers against the Kiwi spinners, especially Ajaz Patel, who massacred in Mumbai with 11 wickets in the match.

This is a new low for Rohit Sharma and his troops, as India suffer their first-ever whitewash in a Test series which had three or more matches. The defeat has also jeopardized India's chances of making into the WTC Final, which is slated to take place next June.

An Indian team which is known for its batting prowess, especially on home conditions, it was a massive shock to witness the struggle of the Indian batters. Here let's have a recap of how the India batters fared in the Test series.

IND vs NZ: Report Card of India Batters

India went with KL Rahul in the first Test, who was then replaced by Shubman Gill in the last two matches. All the other batters played the entirety of the series.

Rohit Sharma

A shocking Test series for Rohit Sharma as the India captain failed horribly in every match. Rohit could only score 91 runs in the series, in which he managed a knock of 52 runs in an innings. The India batter was troubled by both pace and spin and failed to put any resistance against the Kiwi attack. An average of just 15.16 at home is not good enough, and Rohit must know that.

Rohit Sharma Report Card: 3/10

Virat Kohli

Another veteran India star, who suffered a similar fate. Virat Kohli was abysmal in the series with just 93 runs. Kohli was unable to provide any assurance to his batting apart from one knock, when he scored 70 runs in the first Test. If that knock of 70 runs is taken away, Kohli scored at an average of 4.6 in the remaining five innings. In Mumbai, it was the same for him. Kohli managed only 5 runs across two innings and couldn't deliver when the team needed him so desperately. After a poor outing against Bangladesh, Kohli's lack of form has continued against the Kiwis as well, which will be a massive cause for concern.

Virat Kohli Report Card: 2.5/10

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill was ruled out from the first Test with a neck injury but did decently in the last two matches. Gill scored a gritty 90 in the first innings in Mumbai, but his other three knocks were modest. The batter scored 144 runs at an average of 36, and will have to work on his batting ahead of the crucial Australia series.

Shubman Gill Report Card: 5/10

Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz made a promising start in Bengaluru but faded away after that. He scored 150 runs in the second innings of the first Test, his maiden ton. But after that, the India batter could only accumulate 21 runs in the next four innings. In total, Sarfaraz scored 171 runs with an average of 28.5, way below than expected.

Sarfaraz Khan Report Card: 4/10

Yashasvi Jaiswal

In a series which saw the Indian players got out for ducks the most in the test history of India, Yashasvi Jaiswal will be happy that he at least managed to get off the mark in each of his six innings. Jaiswal got four starts in the series, out of which he could only convert one to a half-century. The southpaw was not as poor as his teammates, but should have capitalized after getting set in the crease. He totaled 190 runs at an average of 31.7, not the best, but better than the majority of the India batters in the series.

Yashasvi Jaiswal Report Card: 6/10

Rishabh Pant

Amid the batting mishap of the Indian team, Rishabh Pant is the only bright spark. The southpaw has looked in ominous touch since returning to Red ball cricket, and he was the only India batter who showed some resistance against the Kiwis. Pant amassed 261 runs in the series, which makes him the highest scorer of the series. At an average of 43.5, Pant scored 3 fifties in the series. Even in the 2nd innings Mumbai, the dashing batter stood tall and scored a fantastic fifty, but failed to take his team home.

Rishabh Pant Report Card: 9/10

KL Rahul

KL Rahul only played in Bengaluru and scored 12 runs across two innings. He got out for a duck in the first and then couldn't score big in the subsequent innings as well. Rahul was then left out of the team for the last two matches. Although Rahul didn't get any opportunity after that, the India batter may not have been very effective even if he played.

KL Rahul Reporting Card: 3/10