'Tough pill to swallow' - Sachin Tendulkar laments after New Zealand whitewash India with Mumbai win

Home side India lost the third Test against New Zealand by 25 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday, October 3. With this loss, India were whitewashed at home for the first time since 2000 and New Zealand became the first team to whitewash them in a series of more than two Tests. Just after the horrific loss, the former India legend, Sachin Tendulkar, called for self-introspection from the team. 

The Indian team were heavily criticized for their dismal batting performance as the team conceded a lead of more than 100 runs consecutively for the first time since 2021. No other batters barring Sarfaraz Khan scored a century. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant were applauded for their half-centuries by Tendulkar in the third Test and credited New Zealand for their win.

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“Losing 3-0 at home is a tough pill to swallow, and it calls for introspection. Was it a lack of preparation, was it poor shot selection, or was it lack of match practice? Shubman Gill showed resilience in the first innings, and Rishabh Pant was brilliant in both innings— his footwork made a challenging surface look like a different one altogether. He was simply superb. Full credit to New Zealand for their consistent performance throughout the series. Winning 3-0 in India is as good a result as it can get,” Tendulkar tweeted on his 'X' handle. 

Check out Sachin Tendulkar’s latest post here: 

India failing to chase target below 200 in a Test

Lowest target defended successfully by New Zealand