Nasser Hussain, former England skipper reckons India doesn’t play fearless cricket in ICC events, something which they are extremely capable of being a hugely talented side. India will make an early exit from the T20 World Cup 2021 following their last Super 12 encounter against Namibia on Monday.
New Zealand and Pakistan, the two sides India lost against, have qualified for the semi-finals from Group 2. former England skipper Nasser Hussain opened up on pre-tournament favourites India’s early exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021, saying the Virat Kohli-led side is full of talented cricketers but they fail to demonstrate the fearless brand of cricket in ICC events.
Nasser Hussain: India Don’t Quite Play The Fearless Brand Of Cricket In ICC Events
Their latest failure means India’s hunt for an ICC crown, which they last won in 2013, continues. According to Nasser Hussain, there is a mental aspect to their game, which is letting them down in multi-nation events. Notably, India failed to reach the semi-final of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE after New Zealand beat Afghanistan by eight wickets in Abu Dhabi to join Pakistan in the knockouts.
Speaking to t20worldcup.com, Nasser Hussain elaborated: “You have got to go out and express yourself. They (India) have got so much talent. That may be the only thing that’s holding India back in ICC events. They don’t quite play the fearless brand of cricket that they deserve to because they are so talented.”
India got off to a horror start in the T20 World Cup 2021, going down to Pakistan by 10 wickets. Praising Pakistan, Nasser Hussain admitted that the defeat was a massive setback for India.
Nasser Hussain commented: “I had them as favorites. They had been playing IPL here, are a star-studded side. They got a setback in that first game. The way Shaheen Afridi bowled in the powerplay, those two deliveries that Rohit and Rahul got would have got a lot of great cricketers out.”
“That’s sometimes the problem with the Indian side. They are so good at the top, some of the middle-order don’t get much of a hit and suddenly you need a Plan B and that was found wanting.”
The former England captain also opined that India erred with their selection and the decision to split their opening pair for the New Zealand game.
He elaborated: “I see India as a very talented side but sometimes selection wise… Hardik Pandya just playing as a batter alters the balance of the side. Against New Zealand, the idea to split Rohit and Rahul was not a good one.”
India managed only 110 for 7 batting first against New Zealand. They lost the game by eight wickets, which pretty much sealed their fate in the T20 World Cup 2021. The make-shift opening pair of KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan managed to add only 11 runs, with Ishan Kishan scoring four off eight balls. New Zealand chased down the score in just 14.3 overs, handing India a massive defeat.
The Indian batsmen Ishan Kishan (4 off 8 balls), Rohit Sharma (14 off 14 balls), KL Rahul (18 off 16), Virat Kohli (9 off 17), Rishabh Pant (12 off 19) failed when it mattered most against New Zealand, losing the second successive match after the one against Pakistan where Rohit Sharma (0) and KL Rahul (3) failed as openers.
Simon Doull: India Wasn’t At Their Best From The Start
According to former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull, India paid the price for not being at their best from the start of the T20 World Cup 2021.
Expressing surprise at India’s failure to adapt despite the players being in the UAE for the last month or so (for IPL 2021), Simon Doull said: “India had to be at their best from the start and they weren’t. Having been in these conditions for the last month and a half, you might have thought they’d adapted better.”
“But you can’t take away anything from Pakistan. They were brilliant. India slipped and then New Zealand were outstanding. If you are below your best against top-quality sides you’ll get found out and they were.”
India registered comprehensive wins against Afghanistan and Scotland. However, New Zealand’s triumph over Afghanistan on Sunday ended their slim semi-final qualification hopes.
India cruised to a second consecutive win in the T20 World Cup 2021 as they thumped Scotland by eight wickets in a Group 2 game in Dubai on Friday, chasing 86 run target inside 6.3 overs. India’s batting finally clicked against Afghanistan as they racked up the tournament’s highest total of 210-2 and restricted their opponents to 144-7.