Injury concerns were further heightened for India on Wednesday when Rohit Sharma also received a thumbs up in the second ODI against Bangladesh which also ruled him out of the series decider. India have already conceded the series after losing the second ODI by 5 points.
The Indian team’s current form and injury problems have left the former coach Madan Lal in a worrying state of mind and even expressed surprise after skipper Rohit said India ‘can’t have guys coming to play for the country half fit’.
Referring to Rohit’s observation, Lal, who is a member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad, said: “It’s a very sad thing. If the captain says that, then something is wrong. somewhere,” Lal told PTI in an interview.
“Who is responsible for this? Are the coaches responsible for this? Why do unfit players go there? You are playing international cricket and the result is in front of you.
Captain Rohit Sharma’s declaration of half-fit players is a concern. The coach’s job is to ensure that all players are in good shape before the series.
— Madan Lal (@MadanLal1983) 1670483610000
“If they want to rest, they can rest during IPL matches. Your country comes first. If you don’t win ICC trophies, your country’s cricket will go down.”
Lal also blasted India after their ODI series defeat in Bangladesh, saying the team lacked “intensity and passion” and were heading in the wrong direction.
“Certainly the Indian team is not going in the right direction. I haven’t seen the intensity of the team lagging behind. I haven’t seen ‘Josh’ in them for the last couple of years,” he said. Lal said.
“They don’t look like an Indian team at all. That passion to play for the country is missing. Either their body is too tired or they’re just going with the flow. And that’s a serious concern.”
India had withdrawn from the T20 World Cup after losing to eventual champions England in the semi-finals. Rohit Sharma and Co also made an early exit from the Asian Cup after losing their super 4 matches to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Lal blamed top hitters for India’s not-so-impressive performances lately.
“If you see the record, how many centuries have they (seniors) scored in the last three years? And how many in the last year? With the age factor, your hand-eye coordination slows down.
“But they are experienced players and they should have performed well. If your first order doesn’t work, you won’t win.”
The 71-year-old former all-rounder has also caught the attention of bowlers for his lack of intensity.
“Your bowling unit has become very weak suddenly. It looks like they won’t get any wickets. After 69 for 6, Bangladesh managed to score 271. So what’s going on?”
When asked if it was necessary to have different players for different formats, Lal said: “Every country plays like that. Must have specialist cricketers for different formats. Why not have different players for different formats? All countries are doing it and India should be doing the same too.”
(With PTI inputs)
