Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has slammed the Indian management for not resolving the middle-order muddle after the ‘Men in Blue’ crashed out of the World Cup following their defeat at the hands of New Zealand in first semi-final. Virat Kohli and his troops succumbed to an 18-run defeat after a rare top-order collapse despite fighting half-centuries from all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and wicket-keeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Yuvraj was critical of India’s handling of the crucial number four spot and he also spoke regarding Ambati Rayudu, who called time on his career after failing to seal a place in the World Cup squad. Yuvraj said that the team management should have taken a call long back and then stuck to the player.

“The team management should have groomed someone,” Yuvraj Singh told Times of India. “If someone was failing at No. 4, the team management should have told that player that he was going to play the World Cup. Like in the 2003 World Cup, we were playing New Zealand before the tournament, everybody was failing. But the same team played in the World Cup.”

“It was disappointing to watch what they did with Rayudu. He was in the contention for the World Cup. He got runs in New Zealand but after three or four bad innings, he got dropped.

“And then Rishabh (Pant) came in and he got dropped. If No. 4 is a crucial position in ODI cricket, if you want someone to do well in that position, you will have to back him. You can’t drop someone if he is unable to do well all the time,” he added.

India’s middle-order failed when needed the most as after Matt Henry and Trent Boult cleared the top-order in the semi-final, there was no resistance from the batsmen before Dhoni was joined in the middle by Jadeja.

The duo put together a century stand to reignite India’s chase but they fell short by some distance in the end. Courtesy of this defeat, India crashed out of the competition at this stage two editions in a row.

First Published: Jul 14, 2019 13:47 IST