England's 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has slammed India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid for making a shocking U-turn on their aggressive and dominant style of play during last month's T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to the Three Lions in Adelaide.
India's intent and approach have been under discussion for weeks now after eventual champions England gave them a 10-wicket hammering in the T20 World Cup in Australia. Many cricket pundits, including the likes of Ashish Nehra, and Harbhajan Singh were critical of India's batting style, especially at the top of the order as the likes of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma didn't go all out in the first power play during the tournament.
KL Rahul in particular was severely criticized for being too cautious up front and at times, he put the remaining batters under tremendous pressure because, by the time he got out, the Indian run rate was still hovering around 6 or 7.
And Eoin Morgan has blamed Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid for employing such tactics even when they knew that those won't bear fruit because there were teams in the competition who would bludgeon them away.
The former England captain went on to say that India would have dominated the event had they not gone back to their old ways and played with a positive set of mind. Instead, they were timid and lacked luster on the pitch.
“I any heavyweight battle when it comes to a side being dominated like they were… and let's be honest, India were dominated from start to finish. You have to continue to throw punches and England did that. Jos Buttler's captaincy was outstanding; his tactics and strategies throughout the whole game were absolutely excellent. England made India play that way; they strangled them and it looked like India didn't have a Plan B or Plan C to fall back on. We were watching and talking about why India chose to play that way,” Eoin Morgan told Sports Tak.
“Perhaps you can question their planning into the game or the lack of adaptation when England had been so strong. Rewind the clock 5-6 months ago when India visited England and again dominated by playing this free-spirited, very aggressive and positive mantra under Rohit Sharma. We sat back and lauded Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma but certainly it wasn't evident in Adelaide,” Eoin Morgan pointed out.
However, Eoin Morgan isn't the first foreign cricketer to hold Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid responsible for India's poor display in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Eoin Morgan's countryman Michael Vaughan was as harsh as him as he ripped into India after their T20 World Cup campaign ended in a disaster.
“Since winning 50 over World Cup what have they done? Nothing. India are playing a white-ball game that is dated and have done for years.”
“India are the most under-performing white-ball team in history. Every player in the world who goes to the Indian Premier League says how it improves their game but what have India ever delivered?” Michael Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“I am just staggered by how they play T20 cricket for the talent they have. They have the players, but just do not have the right process in place. They have to go for it. Why do they give the opposition bowlers the first five overs to bed in?”
“We know in T20 cricket the stats tell you a team needs a spinner who can turn it both ways. India have plenty of leg-spinners. Where are they? They have a left-armer in Arshdeep Singh who swings it back into the right-handers.”
“So what do they do defending 168? They put on Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowling outswing to give Jos Buttler and Alex Hales width. Where is the left-arm seamer swinging it in to Buttler and Hales in the first over? Madness. Cramp them for room. Do not give them a chance to get off to a flyer in the first over and settle nerves,” Michael Vaughan said.
On the other hand, former Australian cricketer and now commentator Brad Hogg opined that the Indian Premier League (IPL) was harming the young generation of Indian cricketers as they are no longer interested in playing for the country. That's why there was dearth of world class talent in the Indian cricket team.
While Team India had some of the best spinners in the world, including the legendary Harbhajan Singh who used to spin the ball on any surface, the country was no longer producing those kinds of players anymore.
“I think it is (IPL affecting Indian cricket) because the young players that are coming through the system are more focused on playing T20 IPL cricket because there is probably a little more cash in it, it's a short form, it's quick and you get the game done and dusted. It seems a bit like easier money,” Brad Hogg said.
“When they are focused on that T20 cricket scenario, they are not focused on the longer forms. They don't know how bowlers set up batters to take wickets and how batters build their innings to bat for long periods of time. It's not so much the generations that are playing international cricket right now like the Virat Kohli's and Rohit Sharma's. It's younger players that are just debuting for India that are most affected,” Brad Hogg added.
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