T20 World Cup: Former India cricketers question team’s tactics and intent after loss

New Delhi, November 1

India have been pushed to the brink of elimination after Virat Kohli and his men slumped to their second loss of the ongoing T20 World Cup and the cricket fraternity is struggling to make sense of the insipid performance.

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A seemingly jaded India endured an eight-wicket loss to a clinical New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday night. It was their second straight defeat after being handed a 10-wicket thrashing by arch-rivals Pakistan in their opener at the same venue.

Very disappointing from India. NZ were amazing. India’s body language wasn’t great, poor shot selection Virender Sehwag, former India batsman

In any big tournament you can’t change the playing 11 in just one game and get desired results. Players need stability Irfan Pathan, former India bowler

I am shocked, not just by the loss, it’s the manner in which they have lost VVS Laxman, former India batsman

I don’t know if it is a fear of failure but I know that whatever changes they made to the batting order did not work Sunil Gavaskar, former India captain

Stunned by the “manner” of defeat, the cricket fraternity has questioned India’s tactics and intent. “I am shocked, not just by the loss, it’s the manner in which they have lost,” former India cricketer VVS Laxman said. “You can have all the support staff but it’s about execution. It’s the cricketers who have to go out there and play. This defeat should hurt Team India. Tentative with the bat, their shot selection was questionable. New Zealand bowled superbly, but India made their task easier,” he added.

Management didn’t trust Rohit: Gavaskar

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar criticised the team management’s decision to push Rohit Sharma down to No. 3. Ishan Kishan opened the innings along with KL Rahul, while Kohli moved down the order to No. 4. “Ishan Kishan is a hit-or-miss player and it is better if a batsman like him walks in No. 4 or No. 5,” Gavaskar said. “He could then play according to the situation of the game. Now what has happened is that Rohit has been told that we don’t trust you to face the left-arm fast bowling of Trent Boult,” he added.

“If you do that to a player who has been playing at a position for so many years, he himself will think that maybe he doesn’t have the ability. If Kishan had made 70-odd runs we would have applauded. But when the ploy doesn’t work, you are going to be criticised,” he added. “I don’t know if it is a fear of failure but I know that whatever changes they made to the batting order today did not work. Rohit is such a great batsman and he has been sent in at No. 3. Kohli himself, who has made so many runs at No. 3 demotes himself to No. 4. A young player like Kishan has been given the responsibility of opening the batting,” said Gavaskar. — PTI

Bubble fatigue one of the reasons for poor displays?

India’s pace bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah said bubble fatigue is a tough reality of the current times as he tried to explain the team’s shambolic campaign so far. “Absolutely, you need a break,” Bumrah said when asked about the short gap between the second leg of the IPL and the T20 World Cup. “But this is the reality of the times we are living in, it’s difficult, it’s a pandemic and we are staying in bubbles. We try to adapt but bubble fatigue and mental fatigue also creeps in. You are doing the same thing again and again. It is the way it is, and you can’t control a lot of things over here,” he added. “Obviously, staying in a bubble and staying away from your family for such a long time does play a role on the players’ minds,” he added. India have been in bio-bubbles since June when they landed in England to play the World Test Championship final. The team got a three-week break after that game against the Black Caps which was followed by a gruelling five-Test series against England. PTI