Picture Credit: BCCI
India lost the first of three T20Is they are scheduled to play against Australia. Despite posting a massive 208/6, India lost the match by four wickets as their bowlers failed to contain the flow of runs. A few dropped catches here and there added to the woes. India dropped a total of three catches in the match. Two of Cameroon Green, who went on to score 61 off 30 deliveries and one of Matthew Wade, who was unbeaten at 45 off 21 deliveries.
With Indian fielders showing butterfingers in the game, the former India head coach Ravi Shastri came hard at the players asking them where was the brilliance. Shastri looked furious as he went on to say that this side is no match to any of the top sides. The 60-year-old pointed out that these dropped chances can hurt big time in big tournaments.
“If you look at all the top Indian teams over the years, there is youth and experience. I find the youth missing here and hence the fielding. If you look at the last five-six years, fielding wise, I think this side is no match to any of the top sides when it comes to fielding. And that can hit badly in big tournaments,” Shastri said on Star Sports.
“It means that as a batting side you have to get that 15-20 runs game after game, because if you look around the field, where is brilliance? There is no Jadeja. Where is that X-factor?” he said.
“What I was disappointed today with was the standard of fielding. I mean, it looks sloppy and I think you need a big upping of the ante when it comes to the fielding if you have to beat big sides in big competitions.”
Notably, the two teams will meet in Nagpur for the second T20I on Friday (23 September) while the final match will be played on 25 September in Indore.
