Former pacer Venkatesh Prasad slams Indian T20 side

He reiterated his point and emphasized how lackluster and flat the players appeared on the field against the West Indies.

New Delhi: Former pacer Venkatesh Prasad expressed his disappointment over the Team India’s performance in the second T20I against the West Indies. He termed the team’s effort “very ordinary” while adding that there is a need for a higher level of intensity and hunger to win from the team.

India is trailing 0-2 in the five-match T20I series against the West Indies, after the two-wicket loss in Guyana on Sunday.

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Prasad has been outspoken about India’s failure to play the brand of cricket required in the white-ball formats. On Monday, he reiterated his point and emphasized how lackluster and flat the players appeared on the field.

“Very very ordinary. No point in brushing it aside. After the 2007 T20 World Cup, IPL started and we haven’t won a T20 World Cup in 7 attempts since, making only 1 final. The intensity and hunger to win needs to be far more,” Prasad tweeted.

The West Indies seemed to be comfortably on their way to victory on Sunday, requiring 27 runs from 36 balls when a sudden collapse occurred, resulting in the loss of four wickets in just six runs. With only 21 runs required off 18 balls, it appeared highly likely that captain Hardik Pandya would allow Yuzvendra Chahal to bowl his full quota of four overs.

Prasad further questioned India’s tactics in the second T20I by not giving Yuzvendra Chahal a final over of his quota after he had managed to get India back in the game by taking two wickets in his three overs. “Yesterday after Yuzi took 2 wkts in the 16th and Yuzi got India back into the game in what was his third over and West Indies 8th down and he didn’t bowl again and No 9 and 10 for WI found the pacers easy to handle. Should be smarter at these moments then just doing textbook stuff,” the 54-year-old said in another tweet.