 As India go into the fourth Test match with a 0-3 scoreline against them,
the number of former cricketers lambasting the performance in England has
only increased. Kapil Dev had blasted the Indian captain and the other seniors
in the team for not helping out the younger team-members, who had looked confused
at various stages in the game.
Former captain Sourav Ganguly, who is also commentating in England said
that it was hard to accept that the world number one side had lost three games
in a row and that the side will need to ensure that it was a flash in the pan
and get back to their winning ways.
Ganguly said that while it was okay to lose games, especially against an opposition
which has looked so strong, it was worrying to go down three games in a row. He
asked whether it was a one-off or thebeginning of the end of the side one had
seen over the last decade and a half.
Anil Kumble, who had earlier captained the side before retiring in 2008 said
that the Indians needed to get in four or five younger players and allow them
to succeed in the battle of Test match cricket, in place of the stalwarts like
Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
He named the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh
and Gautam Gambhir as a few of those who could take on the baton from
the senior generation of cricketers and get going. Interestingly, the likes
of S Badrinath and Cheteshwar Pujara have not been given enough opportunities
so far, despite their good technique.
Kumble said that the younger players needed to be allowed a lot of time at the
top. He added that while India may not come back to the top of the charts for
some time, the side needed to ensure that they remained in the top three and then
claw back with these younger generation players. Kumble also said that there was
no doubt that the side was simply outplayed by a far superior English side in
the series.
Former India Test opener Arun Lal said the Indian team had to stop relying on
the 35-plus cricketers and needed the younger generation to take over the mantle.
India take on England in the fourth and the final Test match at the Oval.
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