Year Ender 2024: Recalling Team India's Biggest Heartbreaks, Including New Zealand Whitewash at Home

As 2024 comes to a close, Indian cricket fans reflect on a year marked by astonishing highs and gut-wrenching lows. The highly anticipated Test series between India and New Zealand in 2024 began with immense expectations, as the Indian team had just delivered a historic victory against Bangladesh.

With their home dominance intact, Rohit Sharma's men were expected to breeze through the series, especially after New Zealand’s recent struggles against Sri Lanka. However, the Blackcaps arrived with a point to prove, and the opening Test in Bengaluru quickly turned into a nightmare for India.

Despite favorable conditions, India’s batting line-up faltered miserably, crumbling to a mere 46 runs, their lowest-ever total on home soil. This was a sign of the turmoil that was to follow, as New Zealand seized control and went on to dominate the series.

The defeat in Bengaluru was just the beginning, as India faced an uphill battle in the next two Tests. In Pune, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner took charge with an outstanding 13-wicket performance, leading his team to their first-ever Test series victory in India.

By the time the third Test arrived in Wankhede, India found themselves on the brink of a historic whitewash. Despite a valiant effort from Rishabh Pant, the home team failed to recover, with New Zealand completing a 3-0 clean sweep—an unprecedented result that left Indian cricket fans reeling.

New Zealand’s Unprecedented Whitewash

India’s home dominance in Test cricket was shattered by Tom Latham’s resilient New Zealand side. Entering the series on the back of a record-breaking performance against Bangladesh, expectations were sky-high for Rohit Sharma’s men. However, the series opener in Bengaluru set a grim tone as India collapsed to their lowest-ever home Test total of 46. New Zealand capitalized on India’s frailty, with Matt Henry and William O’Rourke dismantling the batting order.

In Pune, Mitchell Santner’s extraordinary 13-wicket haul sealed a series victory for the Kiwis, marking their first-ever Test series win in India. Desperate to salvage pride in the final Test at Wankhede, India faced yet another collapse, as Ajaz Patel’s 11 wickets handed New Zealand an unthinkable 3-0 whitewash. The series exposed glaring weaknesses in India’s batting lineup, with overdependence on Rishabh Pant’s sporadic brilliance and an inability to counter New Zealand’s relentless bowling attack.

Sri Lanka’s Stunning ODI Triumph

Just months after the Test debacle, India faced another setback in the limited-overs format, losing a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka for the first time since 1997. The series, played on spin-friendly tracks at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, saw Indian batsmen struggle against Dunith Wellalage and Jeffrey Vandersay. Sri Lanka’s young spinners exploited India’s weaknesses, as the Men in Blue failed to chase modest targets in the second and third ODIs.

While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli showcased moments of brilliance, their inability to convert starts into match-winning innings left a gaping hole in the batting lineup. Meanwhile, India’s bowling lacked the sharpness needed to counter Sri Lanka’s resilient batting, highlighted by Avishka Fernando’s composed performances.

Records Broken for the Wrong Reasons

India’s defeats in 2024 shattered several long-standing records. The 3-0 loss to New Zealand marked the first time India was whitewashed at home in a Test series of three or more matches. Additionally, India registered their lowest-ever Test total (46) and saw their top order crumble with multiple ducks. The ODI series against Sri Lanka witnessed India losing an unprecedented number of wickets to spin in a three-match series.