Ex-chief selector MSK Prasad rues Indian batting not prospering as a unit in must-win games; reckons Kohli & Co failed to encash on decent opening stand
R Ashwin (left), Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane wear a dejected look after losing the WTC final. Pic/Bipin Patel
Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad felt India lost the World Test Championship final to New Zealand after the team failed to encash on the stable start provided by Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in the first innings.
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After the first day was washed out, India were put in to bat on Day Two with openers Rohit (34) and Gill (28) posting 62 for the first wicket. However, after losing both openers in a span of 22 balls, India managed to score 217. In the second innings, India posted 170, setting a target of 139 which NZ achieved with eight wickets to spare on the sixth and reserve day on Wednesday.
Except Oz tours, not good
“It’s our batting that has most of the time not risen to expectations when it mattered the most, be it in the 2017 Champions Trophy final [v Pakistan] or the 2019 World Cup semi-final [v NZ] or the WTC final. Barring the two Australia tours [2018-19 and 2020-21], the batting unit has not clicked for us away from home. We lost in South Africa and England because of our batting rather than bowling. Our bowling has always put us on a better plane wherever we have played. With the kind of start that we got in the WTC final, a total of 300 was on the cards. The openers played reasonably well. They gave a good start but we could not encash on that. That’s where we lost.
MSK Prasad. Pic/PTI
“NZ dominated in all departments but it will be too harsh to criticise this wonderful team on the basis of just one match. NZ had an advantage as they got acclimatised a bit early,” Prasad told mid-day.
June 23, 2013 was the last time India won an ICC trophy—Champions Trophy—at Birmingham. Eight years later, on the same day, Virat Kohli’s India had the chance to create history by winning the inaugural WTC final had they batted well in the second innings. Since 2013, India have faltered at almost all final frontiers—2014 T20 World Cup final to Sri Lanka, 2015 World Cup semis to Australia, 2016 T20 World Cup semis to WI, 2017 Champions Trophy final to Pakistan and 2019 World Cup semis to NZ.
The former India stumper could not figure out why the batsmen have failed to rise to the occasion. “I always feel, in a must-win match, our batting has not clicked together. I don’t know what is the reason. It’s up to the team management and players to figure this out. This team has that character. They won a series in Australia after being 36 all out. Against England too at home, they bounced back after losing the first Test. It’s really unfortunate that it is happening quite often in these big matches,” said Prasad, who has worked closely with coach Ravi Shastri, skipper Kohli and MS Dhoni during his tenure as chief selector.
Also Read: Ravi Shastri on Twitter: Better team won in the conditions
‘Can’t blame the lower order’
Along with the top order, the lower order could not contribute much in both the innings of the final. But Prasad did not find any fault in the lower order. “If the top order does not perform, why should we blame the lower order? Whatever runs the lower order gives you are a bonus. It is the duty of the top order to stand up and put up a reasonable total so that the bowlers can easily do their job,” he said.
Prasad did not feel the combination of playing two spinners backfired. “[Ravindra] Jadeja was picked as a batsman who could bowl some overs for you. His form has been phenomenal. This was my playing XI as well. We covered all bases. Had Hardik Pandya been there, he would have walked into the XI. Since he was not there, Jadeja’s inclusion was justifiable. And about playing an extra seamer since the batting unit has not clicked on important occasions, it is only prudent to go with an extra batsman,” he signed off.
Also Read: Kohli hints at changes in Test squad: Bring in right people with right mindset
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