As India made an early league stage exit from the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, former England captain and commentator Nasser Hussain opined that Team India's failure to demonstrate a fearless brand of cricket in the ICC events is among the reasons behind their struggle in the global tournaments.
India failed to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE after New Zealand beat Afghanistan by eight wickets in Abu Dhabi to join Pakistan from Group 2 in the top four, along with Australia and England, the other two semi-finalists from Group 1.
Reacting to the same, Hussain believes that the Indian cricket team is full of talented cricketers and that may be the only thing that's holding India back in ICC events, as they fail to play the fearless brand of cricket that they deserve to play on the global stage.
Hussain told t20worldcup.com: “You have got to go out and express yourself. They (India) have got so much talent. That may be the only thing that's holding India back in ICC events. They don't quite play the fearless brand of cricket that they deserve to because they are so talented.”
Analyzing India’s defeat against Pakistan and New Zealand in the first two games in the T20 World Cup 2021, the Englishman said: “I had them as favorites. They had been playing IPL here, are a star-studded side. They got a setback in that first game. The way Shaheen Afridi bowled in the powerplay, those two deliveries that Rohit and Rahul got would have got a lot of great cricketers out.”
He added, “That’s sometimes the problem with the Indian side. They are so good at the top, some of the middle-order don’t get much of a hit and suddenly you need a Plan B and that was found wanting. I see India as a very talented side but sometimes selection wise Hardik Pandya just playing as a batter alters the balance of the side. Against New Zealand, the idea to split Rohit and Rahul was not a good one.”
Meanwhile, former New Zealand pacer and commentator Simon Doull also opined that India wasn’t at their best from the start of the T20 World Cup 2021 and they paid the price for it.
Doull told t20worldcup.com: “India had to be at their best from the start and they weren’t. Having been in these conditions for the last month and a half, you might have thought they’d adapted better. But you can’t take away anything from Pakistan.”
He concluded, “They were brilliant. India slipped and then New Zealand were outstanding. If you are below your best against top-quality sides you’ll get found out and they were.”
