Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has pushed back a little on captain Shreyas Iyer’s blunt assessment of the batting unit after India’s crushing 125-run loss to England in the third T20I.
Chasing 202 in Nottingham on July 7, India were bowled out for just 76, slipping to 0-2 down in the five-match series after the opener was washed out. It’s Iyer’s fourth loss in as many completed T20Is as captain. Karthik agreed the batting was poor, but felt the captain’s public take on his own team was unusually harsh.
Karthik Calls Iyer’s Comments ‘Odd’
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik said India had put in one of their weakest batting performances in a long while, but that Iyer’s choice of words about his own group went further than he expected.
Also Read:India Face Must-Win Fourth T20 Against England To Avoid Back-To-Back Series Defeats
“Yes, India did not bat well. Probably one of the worst batting performances in a long time. But it was interesting, maybe odd, you can say, for the captain to come quite hard at the batting unit. He used the word atrocious to describe their batting, he used the word awful as well,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
What Shreyas Iyer Said After India’s 76-All Out
Iyer didn’t soften anything in the post-match presentation.
“It was atrocious. Losing by such a big margin isn’t acceptable. First things first, we have to accept this loss and go back to the drawing board. It wasn’t a 200 wicket. Losing four in the powerplay didn’t create momentum, lost it there. You can plan a lot, once you come into the ground you have to adapt, figure out lengths. Hard lengths helped, we didn’t execute. When you’re chasing, you have to set patterns and our execution was off. Great opportunity to come back strong. We’ve played awful cricket but lots to learn as well. Players have to figure out ways to create impact. Every individual has to work on creating impact and taking responsibility,” Iyer said.
What’s Next for India in the England T20I Series?
The shortest format keeps giving India trouble. They’re coming off a historic 0-2 series loss to Ireland, and now find themselves 0-2 down against England as well.
Two matches remain, and India can still level the series if they win both. The fourth T20I is on Thursday, July 9, with the fifth and final match on Saturday, July 11.
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