 India's loss to Sri Lanka in the last Super Eight stage game meant that they had to return back to the country without any win to their name in the second round.
This has brought out many cricketers to criticise the Indian team's performance
in the tournament so far, with the likes of Anil Kumble and Ravi Shastri
being very critical of the side's performance.
Kumble said that Indian players lost their intensity after having had a lot
of pressure during the IPL. Kumble said that the players probably felt more
in their comfort zone when they went back into an Indian set-up and it cost
them.
Kumble also criticised the manner in which the Indians handled the quicker
bowlers, and criticised the selection as well. He said that post the Praveen Kumar injury, there was no doubt that Zaheer Khan was struggling and Ashish
Nehra was never going to be a match-winner on his own. India had gone in with
an extra batsman at Barbados, and "India did not show faith in Vinay Kumar
on a wicket that offered both bounce and carry, which was a mistake."
In fact, both Ravi Shastri and Kumble said that the lack of fast bowlers
was a definite worry for the side. While Kumble said that the quality fast bowlers
have all disappeared, Shastri wrote, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, Siddharth
Trivedi, Ashok Dinda, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Piyush Chawla should be given
regular opportunities. He added, "Since Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra aren't
getting any younger, the gravity of the situation is apparent."
Kumble has also back Irfan Pathan for a comeback into the team. He said
that the pitches in West Indies deserved an extra medium-pace bowlers in place
of the extra spinners that the side had taken in the playing eleven.
There were also issues with the way Dhoni sent out the eleven. In the first
couple of games, the side fielded first despite having the best batting line-up
around, whereas later, there was no flexibility in the batting.
The worst barb was reserved for Dhoni, when he said that the negative mindset
of the captain rubbed onto the side; Dhoni said that we will play the last game
and go home.
Shastri said there needed to be a co-ordinated approach against fast bowling,
instead of throwing the bats around like novices.
All in all, the former Indian cricketers have been up in arms over the way
in which the side has performed in the tournament.
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