India upbeat despite whitewash threat in NZ Test series

India are staying positive ahead of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai on Friday, despite facing the prospect of a home series whitewash for just the second time in history.

“The atmosphere is great,” assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said on Wednesday.

“Still a lot of jokes and bubbly cricketers in the dressing room.

“You’ll see our sessions filled with fun and nothing has changed.”

The hosts suffered shock defeats in the first two Tests, losing by eight wickets in Bengaluru and by 113 runs in Pune.

The only other time a visiting side won every Test of a series in India was when South Africa did so on their 1999-2000 tour.

But Nayar is taking positives from the tough position his team finds itself in, pointing to India’s past successes and failures as motivation.

“I think when India lost the ODI World Cup in India, that was a low point in Indian cricket for everyone, for the fans, for the players,” he said.

“In the same breath, a couple of months later, they were T20I world champions.

“So, I always feel sometimes [there is a] low point in a cricketer’s [career]. And then coming back is always a great journey.

“That’s how stories are made. That’s how legacies are created.

“So, hopefully, we can be part of creating something as special as that in the future.

“We all understand the sport and we all understand we’re going to go out there and we’re going to win most times, lose sometimes.

“The losing may be emphasised, but we know it’s part of the team.

“So, we just go out smiling and give our best all the time.”

Despite losing the first two Tests of the series, India are heavy favourites with cricket betting sites to win in Mumbai.

Marantelli Bet has the home team at just -277.78 to salute, with New Zealand at much longer odds of +375.

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