Bruised and battered by New Zealand’s rather lesser-known spinners in a spinning track in nearby Pune, India have made all preparations to tackle the threat in a desperate bid to avoid a humiliating whitewash in the third and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium here, starting November 1.

Having already conceded the three-match Test series after suffering losses in Bengaluru and Pune, it has been reliably learnt that the Indian team management is ensuring all measures, including bringing 35 net bowlers, comprising a variety of spinners, to help the Indian batters tackle the spin threat from the BlackCaps on a red-soil Wankhede wicket, traditionally assisting the slower bowlers.

On being asked about the nature of the pitch prepared for the crucial match, India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said the team management has no role in it.

“I wish we could curate pitches, but we don’t. The curators do, and whatever we are provided with, we go on and play, whether that be a pitch that seems or turns. As cricketers and as a team, we try to play what we are provided with. We don’t try to get conditions according to what we want,” he said.

In Pune, where the pitch wasn’t exactly a rank-turner, left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner managed to continuously trouble the Indian batters and produced a match-winning performance, with his figures of 13 for 157 being the third-best by a visiting bowler in India. In fact, Santner, who never had a five-wicket haul in Test cricket, gave the Indian batters a torrid time in both innings on a black-soil Pune track, resulting in a 113-run defeat for the home side.

Nayar, however, isn’t much worried about the seasoned pros — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — succumbing to spinners in home conditions and believes it is important to be patient as both have the potential to bounce back from the slump, a common factor in every cricketer’s career. While Rohit scored just eight runs, Virat’s tally was 18 in two innings and he was dismissed by Santner on both occasions.

“I have seen nothing but love for them (Rohit and Virat) all over,” Nayar said with a smile on Wednesday.

“At times, when a top player, when someone who has been through the journey goes through a lull, a lot of times it is about giving them their space and trusting that they will come back, and they will put in the work,” he said, adding: “Everyone works really hard, everyone wants to do well, whether you are Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma or even someone as young as Shubman Gill…”

Nayar is hopeful that things will change with time as he claimed that the two are putting in the effort.

“The effort is there, the approach is great, and I feel they are putting in the hard yards. Sometimes you have to be a little patient even with the greatest of players, and they can have tough times,” he said.

“I am pretty sure sooner rather than later, we will have more to praise about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and everyone else as well. Just a bit of patience (is what we need)…”

Also contrary to multiple media reports that cited the inclusion of pacer Harshit Rana to the squad ahead of the final Test, Nayar rubbished the claims, saying, “There has been no addition.”

Meanwhile, the series loss has reduced India’s lead at the top of the WTC points table, with 62.82 percent points, closely followed by Australia at 62.50. The road to the WTC final for the two-time finalists will get further complicated in case of a series sweep by the New Zealanders, and Rohit Sharma’s men will then have to win four out of the five Tests on the upcoming tour of Australia to keep themselves in the race to a third appearance in the WTC final.

For the BlackCaps, the wins over India have significantly boosted their hopes of reaching next year’s ICC World Test Championship final as the inaugural champions jumped to the fourth place on the WTC standings with 50 percent points and can still reach the 2025 final with positive results over their remaining fixtures against India and England.