The 3-0 ODI series loss had made the tour of New Zealand go down hill for Team India, and now the disastrous batting performance in the two match Test series is raising some serious questions on the team. Already receiving fire from the supporters and ex-cricketers, India now has a new critic, and its none other than the former chief selector and legendary batsman Sandeep Patil.
The biggest factor behind India’s 2-0 whitewash in the series accounts to lacklustre batting, and following the second Test in Christchurch, Sandeep Patil was annoyed to see his young compatriots out of character on the pitch.
“New Zealand beat us convincingly and it was painful to see our batsmen not playing their natural game. To me, this was beyond comprehension,” Patil said in an exclusive interview with mid-day.
Except the international red ball cricket novices such as Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal, the Indian squad had the overseas experience to pull of a stunning performance in the series, which unfortunately wasn’t the case, as the whole batting squad had met with premature dismissals.
Patil continued: “Doing what comes naturally to you is the only way you can put runs on the board. All of them have played enough cricket to adjust,”
The 2 match series has been one of the worst in the career of Virat Kohli. The Indian skipper already lost his no. 1 spot in ICC’s Test batting rank, while India, still remaining as the top Test cricket team, were devastated against the Kiwis. Patil stated that to retain their rank, India needs to perform in the tours as exceptionally as they do in home fixtures.
“I am aware that teams struggle against us but if you want to be the No.1 team in the world, you have to succeed in all conditions. Are we going to be the No.1 team only at home?” the 63 year old added.
At the end, Patil took a dig at Men in Blue’s head coach Ravi Shastri, who has still kept mum after the disappointing series loss. “Ravi Shastri will soon come up with a statement and say we have learnt our lessons and we will take the positives. But what will happen,” he concluded.
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