Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar warned Men in Blue to get better in its bowling or be prepared to give up their dreams of defending the 2015 World Cup next year in Australia and New Zealand.
Gavaskar blaming India’s fast bowlers for the series defeat against New Zealand, told NDTV, that overseas bowling remains a major concern.
India lost the fourth ODI too in Hamilton on Tuesday by seven wickets and gave up their No.1 rankings to Australia with that loss.
Gavaskar came down heavy on the visitors, especially the bowlers. “I think the bowling is a major concern. In these condition where the new ball bowlers should be bowling well we are not doing so. We have not been doing so in South Africa, we’ve not been doing it here,” said Gavaskar.
“If we do no improve our bowling by next year when India comes to this part of the world to defend the (World Cup) title, it is going to be very, very, very difficult,” Gavaskar warned India after New Zealand took an indisputable 3-0 lead in five match series.
Gavaskar further continued, saying: “The question needs to be asked – are they not practicing in the proper manner? Are they not getting the guidance that is required or what is going on? Because they keep continuing to make the same mistakes.”
Talking specifically about the match he said 278 was an under par total on that smallish ground of Hamilton. “It was an under par score simply because the top-order didn’t get runs. If the top order had made some contribution, if there were partnerships at the top of the innings then it might have been a different thing,” he analysed.
Gavaskar even criticized the team selection of Dhoni and Co. who went with two make-shift openers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and dropped the regular opener Shikhar Dhawan Suresh.
“The changes appear to have been made for the sake of making changes,” he noted. “If you have gone on a tour with only two recognised opening batsmen, then to drop them and have somebody else open the batting was a little bit tough.”
Team India has now lost five out seven ODI matches since the tour of South Africa last year (with the one being tie and other no result). With now only a dead rubber left in Wellington, Gavaskar urged India to urgently correct their overseasperformance if the team wants to successfully defend the World Cup down under next year.
