Cricket legend Ian Chappell has voiced his concerns over Team India’s shortcomings after their 0-3 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand in the recently concluded home Test series. India’s struggles culminated in a 25-run defeat in the third and final Test in Mumbai, marking the first time they have been whitewashed in a home series of three or more Tests. 

Chappell was particularly critical of Virat Kohli's form, emphasizing how his failure to judge the ball's movement exposed a broader issue in India’s batting lineup: a lack of decisive footwork. Writing in his column for ESPNcricinfo, Chappell used Kohli's first-inning dismissal in Mumbai as an example of this weakness. 

"Star batter Virat Kohli's first-inning dismissal was the perfect example of India's lack of decisive footwork," Chappell wrote. "Kohli was clean bowled by a delivery from Santner that, if the batter had taken even a small pace out of his crease, he could have hit on the full. However, instead of Kohli's lack of decisive footwork being the culprit, his shot selection was questioned."

Chappell noted that India’s struggles come at the worst possible time, with the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia looming. The series against New Zealand exposed significant weaknesses in India’s batting, with their top order collapsing frequently, leaving the team vulnerable.

"Calamitous displays against New Zealand exposed weaknesses in India's batting," Chappell observed. "There's no good time for batting fragility, but on the eve of a tough tour of Australia, it's asking for trouble."

The cricket legend also criticised the overuse of certain shot options, including the reverse sweep. Chappell questioned the logic of encouraging players to prioritise this stroke over defensive footwork in Test cricket, citing Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal in the final Test as a prime example of the risks.

"Regarding the supposedly all-important sweep shot, who is the insensitive coach who preached that the reverse sweep is safer to play in Test cricket rather than employing decisive footwork? The danger of the reverse sweep in Tests was adequately revealed with the senseless dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Mumbai Test," Chappell added.