22:07
Cricket Analysis
Gavaskar slams India's 'schoolboys' team
Northampton: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Thursday blamed poor technique for India's dismal show in the Test series in England, saying the tourists looked like a "schoolboys team".
"India were totally outplayed by England in the second Test, so much so that it looked like a contest between a professional team and a schoolboys team," the former opener Sunil Gavaskar said
"The batting has failed to get to 300 in four innings and the bowling in both Tests has faded away after a bright beginning."
India trail 2-0 in the four-Test series following a 196-run defeat in the first match at Lord's and a 319-run loss in the second at Trent Bridge.
Injuries to key players Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh also added to their woes in the last two Tests at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
Hard-hitting opener Sehwag is now set to return for the last two matches, while Gambhir and Zaheer too are expected to be fit for the third Test starting at Edgbaston on August 10.
Drawn games in the last two matches will enable England to dethrone Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Indians as the top-ranked Test team.
"India's lower order is just not technically good enough, and if a player knows he is technically struggling, then mentally too he stops fighting," wrote Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs.
"Not that the top order has shown any great technique, especially the youngsters who plunder millions of runs on Indian pitches getting onto the front-foot and then suddenly find that when it comes to overseas pitches and the quicker bowlers, they just don't know how to play off the back-foot."
Former captain and leg-spin great Anil Kumble was more supportive, saying India can bounce back in the ongoing four-Test series in England if they get their "hunger and intent back".
"The 10-day break, as well as the fact that Sehwag and Gambhir are coming in, will definitely help because the batting will look more settled," Kumble
"The desperation and hunger which has been the hallmark of this team was missing in the last two Tests. They will have to get that hunger back. If that comes in, the rest of it falls in place because the ability is there.
"The way we lost hurt more than the loss itself. These are the same players who have taken Indian cricket to such great heights and they realise what the issues are."
Northampton: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Thursday blamed poor technique for India's dismal show in the Test series in England, saying the tourists looked like a "schoolboys team".
"India were totally outplayed by England in the second Test, so much so that it looked like a contest between a professional team and a schoolboys team," the former opener Sunil Gavaskar said
India trail 2-0 in the four-Test series following a 196-run defeat in the first match at Lord's and a 319-run loss in the second at Trent Bridge.
Injuries to key players Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh also added to their woes in the last two Tests at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
Hard-hitting opener Sehwag is now set to return for the last two matches, while Gambhir and Zaheer too are expected to be fit for the third Test starting at Edgbaston on August 10.
Drawn games in the last two matches will enable England to dethrone Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Indians as the top-ranked Test team.
"India's lower order is just not technically good enough, and if a player knows he is technically struggling, then mentally too he stops fighting," wrote Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs.
"Not that the top order has shown any great technique, especially the youngsters who plunder millions of runs on Indian pitches getting onto the front-foot and then suddenly find that when it comes to overseas pitches and the quicker bowlers, they just don't know how to play off the back-foot."
Former captain and leg-spin great Anil Kumble was more supportive, saying India can bounce back in the ongoing four-Test series in England if they get their "hunger and intent back".
"The 10-day break, as well as the fact that Sehwag and Gambhir are coming in, will definitely help because the batting will look more settled," Kumble
"The desperation and hunger which has been the hallmark of this team was missing in the last two Tests. They will have to get that hunger back. If that comes in, the rest of it falls in place because the ability is there.
"The way we lost hurt more than the loss itself. These are the same players who have taken Indian cricket to such great heights and they realise what the issues are."
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