Positivity reigns supreme in India dressing room despite defeat to NZ

Upon taking the helm of a recast New Zealand Test team earlier this month skipper Tom Latham pledged to restore pride in the national mens team through their preparedness to battle out even the most forlorn of causesIn pushing India to the brink on a raincurtailed opening Test he might have felt the need to pat his back now and thenLathamrsquos ambition to overturn nearly four decades of disappointment by winning a Test match in India could hardly have started in better shape despite the frayed nerves that began to appear as India youngsters Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan raised hopes of an improbable win in the second inningsIt showed on his face The joy of beating the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in their own backyard is no trivial achievementSharma on the other hand had a mixed bag of emotions to unpack as he sat before the media ready to face scrutiny and offer explanationsDespite the palpable disappointment stemming from an eightwicket defeat Sharma for most of the press conference reiterated that he found a silver lining in the aftermath of a truly abysmal first innings that culminated in their lowest home total of 46 runs Yet as any good leader would he chose to highlight the resilience displayed by his young comrades as they battled back to make a contest out of the first TestThe stark contrast between Indiarsquos dismal first innings and their spirited second innings was all that cricket stands for Everevolving and full of surprises After being skittled for just 46 in 312 overs an embarrassing feat that left many questioning their approach in overcast conditions India regroupedAlso ReadNew Zealand revels in a golden 48 hours of sporting gloryKhan playing in only his fourth Test stepped up and delivered a magnificent 150 while Pant in typical fashion electrified the pitch with a blistering 99 Their efforts propelled India to a respectable total of 462 in the second innings transforming the narrative from one of despair to one of spirited defianceSo much so that Sharma admitted to having lsquofelt like we were ahead in the game at one stagersquo This sentiment however stood in stark contrast to the reality that New Zealand had already amassed a staggering 402 in their first innings leaving India with a daunting lead of 356 runs to overcomeSunday wasnrsquot just a runofthemill defeat it marked Indiarsquos second home Test loss in 2023 the first being against England earlier in the year However Rohit remained undeterred reminding each of us in the room that the team has a history of bouncing back from such setbacksThe overarching theme of his remarks revolved around mindset an essential aspect in the highpressure world of Test cricketAlso ReadMaharashtra skipper Gaikwad inspires fightback but Mumbai hold strongDespite the initial calamity of their first innings the Indian team showcased flashes of brilliance that suggest a latent potential ready to be unleashed Khanrsquos century and Pantrsquos nearcentury indicate that the batting lineup while momentarily shaken possesses the firepower to challenge any oppositionAs the second Test looms on the horizon Sharmarsquos India will undoubtedly have a few lessons to ponder The focus will be on ensuring that the first innings performance doesnrsquot become a recurring nightmare Itrsquos time to turn potential into performance and with Sharma at the helm one can only hope that the team rises to the occasion not just for the sake of pride but to silence any lingering doubts about their capabilities