Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth criticized the side’s bowling performance in the embarrassing defeat in the third T20I against England in Nottingham on July 7. Winning the toss and bowling first, the Men in Blue were all over the place after an excellent first two overs.
Despite picking up wickets at regular intervals, India allowed England to amass a formidable 201/7 in 20 overs. While Phil Salt led the way with a 44-ball 70, all-rounder Sam Curran, at No.6, thwarted the Indian attack with a crucial 41* off 24 deliveries.
Talking about India’s overall bowling performance, Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka (4:30):
“Salt was really struggling before he got hold of Varun Chakaravarthy. The Indian bowlers bowl too many slower deliveries. Salt kept smashing the change of pace deliveries. The Indian bowlers turned Sam Curran into a great batter. Only Prince Yadav commanded any respect from the England batters.”
He added:
“Going forward, India has no chance with this bowling lineup. In addition, India’s fielding is also terrible. It feels like a massive achievement if Shivam Dube just holds on to the ball. The ball seemingly keeps looking for Dube. Yet, India are foolishly keeping him in the outfield. Without Bumrah and Hardik, this attack and then the overall teams looks very ordinary.”
Except for Prince Yadav, the other five Indian bowlers conceded at least 9 runs per over. The two spinners, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel, each went at an economy of over 11.
“He was the only one who played with guts” – Kris Srikkanth on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Kris Srikkanth praised young Vaibhav Suryavanshi for his batting in the third England T20I despite the early dismissal. The 15-year-old started with two towering maximums off his first four deliveries before being bounced out by ace pacer Jofra Archer for a 5-ball 13.
“Despite the twin failures, I like the way he’s playing. I hope he doesn’t worry about not going big. I am certain he will score a 90 in atleast one of the remaining two matches. He was the only one who played with guts yesterday. He is playing courageously and should keep playing. Once he starts clicking, he will go to a different level,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
Amid massive expectations, Suryavanshi has failed in his first two games for India, managing just 27 runs. As a result, the Men in Blue have suffered losses in both outings, including a 125-run beatdown in the third T20I in Nottingham.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
