IND vs NZ 2026: 'Any and every spinner wants to bowl to Indian batters' - Former Indian opener's stunning remark ahead of series decider

Former Indian opener Sadagoppan Ramesh didn't mince his words while slamming the current batters in the Men in Blue setup after they were outplayed by New Zealand spinners in the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.

The lesser-experienced Kiwi spin trio of Michael Bracewell, Jayden Lennox, and Glenn Phillips conceded runs at a combined economy rate of 3.87. On the other hand, the New Zealand batters took Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja to the cleaners. The former was particularly expensive, going for 82 runs in his 10-over spell.

Ramesh rued that there was once a time when even the greatest spinners in world cricket were filled with fear during face-offs with the Indian batters. However, the cricketer-turned-expert stated that these days, spinners are waiting to get an opportunity to bowl to the Indian batting lineup.

"India lost the last game mainly because of their batting approach. The way India played their spinners and how they played ours was what tilted the contest in their favor. India allowed the three New Zealand spinners to get away with an economy of 3.80. There was a time when even the greatest spinners used to tremble while bowling to the Indian batters. Now, any and every spinner in the world wants to bowl to Indian batters," Ramesh said on his Instagram handle.

Ramesh opined that the Indian batters gave way too much respect to debutant Jayden Lennox's bowling. The 31-year-old finished with brilliant figures of 1/42 in 10 overs, managing to restrict the flow of runs through the middle overs.

"Mitchell Santner, who is one of the best spinners in the world, will be wondering if the Indian batters would have even respected him as much as they did Jayden Lennox. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja are world-class, yet they smashed them for seven runs an over. India lost the match only here," said Ramesh (via the aforementioned source).

India lost the second ODI by seven wickets as the Black Caps square the series at 1-1. The decisive third ODI will take place at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 18.