Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma held responsible by teammate for Ajinkya Rahane's exit from team India

Following India’s shocking home Test series defeat to New Zealand, Harbhajan Singh has pointed to a deeply rooted issue within the Indian cricket team, and that’s their over-reliance on turning tracks.

The legendary spinner stressed that the Indian cricket team’s over-reliance on turning tracks not only backfired but also played a role in sidelining players like Ajinkya Rahane. The former World Cup winner claimed that Ajinkya Rahane’s promising international career was hampered by India’s over-reliance on turning tracks.

India's over-reliance on turning tracks cost Ajinkya Rahane his Test career

Harbhajan Singh further emphasized that turning pitches have unintentionally hurt the confidence and technique of Indian cricket team batters, making them vulnerable against quality spin attacks like New Zealand.

Ajinkya Rahane, once one of the most dependable Test batters, faced a swift decline after the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he famously led India to a historic triumph in Australia.

However, despite Ajinkya Rahane's leadership and technical proficiency on foreign soil, the right-handed batter’s consistency on turning pitches in India came under scrutiny, and his career never got back on track.

Since his last Test appearance in July 2023, Ajinkya Rahane has been downgraded to domestic cricket with Mumbai, which frustrated the former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. India’s first-ever Test series loss to New Zealand at home reignited debates on how well the team has been groomed to face top-quality spin.

Harbhajan feels the reliance on rank turners at home may give the Indian cricket team a temporary advantage but has left batters underprepared when they face world-class spinners.

Harbhajan Singh blames turning tracks for India's shocking Test series loss to New Zealand

Harbhajan Singh was quoted as saying by PTI: “Look at the trend during the last decades. We have been playing mostly on turners through the last decade with the hope that we will win the toss, score 300, and control the game.

But we don't know if we are at the receiving end or if we have the batting to wriggle out on turners. Our batters have lost a lot of confidence playing on these tracks. The biggest example is Ajinkya Rahane, a fine player. His career suffered because of these kinds of surfaces.”

Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh highlighted how constant exposure to spin-heavy pitches from Day 1 shakes Indian batters' confidence. The former Indian spinner argued that, unlike pitches in SENA countries that wear and tear out naturally over time, Indian surfaces make batting unpredictable, where players can't be sure whether the ball will spin or go straight.

Harbhajan Singh slams turning tracks for damaging Indian cricket team batters' confidence and technique

He insisted that the pitches in SENA countries are not that tricky where you can't even bat, and even top players like Virat Kohli have excelled on bouncier, more predictable surfaces abroad.

But a couple of poor Tests at home can impact a player’s mindset, and then failure in a couple of overseas games often leads to their eventual exclusion from the Indian cricket team, and that’s questionable.

Harbhajan signed off by saying, "Here, if you don't know which one will turn and which one will go straight, you are forever fighting doubts about whether to attack or defend. Even Virat Kohli has fared well abroad in the last few years where the ball comes onto the bat.

Now you have three bad home tests on these tracks, but selectors know that you are a good player and will take you on overseas tours, but by then, not having runs under your belt has started playing havoc with your mindset. You also fail in a couple of overseas tests, and suddenly, you are out of the team. Is that a good thing?”