'Indian spinners were nowhere near New Zealand’s' - Irfan Pathan flags bowling concerns after Rajkot ODI loss

Published - 15 Jan 2026, 16:07 IST | Updated - 15 Jan 2026, 16:08 IST

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan lauded New Zealand’s tactical clarity and bowling discipline while raising concerns over India’s spin effectiveness following the hosts’ seven-wicket defeat in the second ODI at Rajkot on Sunday, January 14.

New Zealand chased down India’s total of 284 with relative ease, reaching 286 for 3 in 47.3 overs, powered by a commanding unbeaten century from Daryl Mitchell and a steady knock from Will Young. The result levelled the three-match series at 1-1.

Pathan credited New Zealand for reading the conditions better, particularly at the toss. The visitors opted to bowl first, a decision that paid dividends on a surface offering grip for spinners early on.

Pathan highlighted the discipline shown by New Zealand’s relatively inexperienced spin attack, singling out Jayden Lennox and captain Michael Bracewell for their control through the middle overs. Lennox, playing just his first ODI, conceded runs at an economy rate of 4.20 and even bowled one of the final five overs.

"New Zealand deserve praise. The way New Zealand have played, they won the toss and opted to bowl first. By contrast, India said they would have batted first had they won the toss. New Zealand read the conditions better. They bowled well, and we saw spin bowling. New Zealand’s spinners weren’t that experienced. Jayden Lennox was playing his first game, but conceded runs at an economy rate of 4.20 per over. He barely gave anything away, keeping a leash on players like Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. Lennox bowled one of the last five overs and bowled outstandingly well,” Pathan said on his Youtube channel.

Bracewell's contributions also drew praise. Pathan noticed that, despite not being a big turner of the ball, Bracewell bowled brilliantly

"Michael Bracewell doesn’t turn the ball much but bowled with discipline and conceded runs at 3.40 per over in 10 with a wicket. Bracewell also gave barely anything away, especially against the right-handers. Indian spinners were nowhere near New Zealand’s when it comes to discipline. It was a big part of India’s defeat."

In contrast, Pathan felt India’s spinners lacked the same level of control, calling it a decisive factor in the defeat. Pathan was particularly critical of Kuldeep Yadav’s outing, pointing to a noticeable drop in pace. Kuldeep conceded 82 runs in his 10 overs, managing just one wicket.

He also touched upon Ravindra Jadeja’s struggles, suggesting the all-rounder becomes less effective when conditions do not assist him significantly. However, Pathan backed both spinners to respond strongly in the next match, stating that better performances are expected as the series moves forward.

"I will point out that Kuldeep Yadav’s speeds are decreasing again. Kuldeep used to bowl slow before and later showed improvement. He started bowling fast and thus turned the ball too. As a result, he got those revs too. Is he bowling slow again? Is it the reason the ball is not turning as much? Kuldeep must revisit the need to increase his speed. He is a better bowler than conceding 80 runs in 10 overs. I expect him to bowl better in the next game and will look to finish better. Ravindra Jadeja doesn’t have too many options and he struggles when conditions don’t help much. But better performances are expected of him too."

With the decider looming, India will be keen to address their bowling discipline. India and New Zealand will be squaring off against each other on January 18 in Holkar Stadium in Indore.