“Not surprised at all”. Ex-India cricketer on shock defeat against Ireland, explains why Cricket News:
NEW DELHI: Former India batsman Share Rayudu admitted he was “not at all surprised” by India’s stunning 0-2 T20I series loss against Ireland, saying the reigning world champions were not prepared for the very different conditions after a high-scoring season in the Indian Premier League.India, led by Shreyas Iyer, suffered a historic series whitewash after losing the second T20I by one run in Belfast, with their batsmen struggling to adapt to the slow, two-fast surfaces.“No, I’m not surprised at all because I don’t think they were prepared enough for the conditions they encountered,” Rayudu told PTI. “It’s always very, very difficult to go from really flat tracks to slightly spongy wickets that also have some movement later on.”The former India international felt the transition from batting-friendly IPL pitches to test conditions in Ireland exposed technical deficiencies within the batting unit.“Most guys are so used to having these powerful bat-swings, the in-between game and controlling the down-swing is a big concern,” the 40-year-old explained.
Rayudu acknowledges Tilak’s challenge, exhorting Sooryavanshi to be patient
Rayudu also highlighted an area where Indian vice-captain Tilak Varma needs to improve despite his struggling 55 in the second T20I.“More than his mental approach, his game against slower bowling on slower surfaces has been a struggle for a while,” Rayudu said. “Whenever he comes across wickets where the ball just doesn’t come to the bat, that’s where we see him struggle a bit to get the tempo up.”According to Rayudu, Tilak’s reluctance to use his feet against spin limited his scoring options on slower tracks.“Against the spinners, he wants to access the square boundaries more… he doesn’t use his feet much. He doesn’t sweep the pitch with the ball and has a lot of shots that he doesn’t play normally. If he improves that part of his game, raising the tempo will be secondary, a by-product of that,” he explained.The former Chennai Super Kings batter also weighed in on the growing calls for 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his India debut after being left out of the two matches against Ireland.“It’s always good to go with your seasoned openers who have done so well (and) won the World Cup. Giving them first, big opportunities is very important,” Rayudu said.“He has experienced what the dressing room of the Indian team looks like, what to expect, what his role should be. So, there are many things he will learn on this tour, which will ultimately help him.Despite India’s disappointing results, Rayudu believes that the upcoming five-match T20I series in England will present a different challenge.“I don’t really read into it because going into England, those wickets are far, far better than what they encounter here,” he said, expressing confidence that the conditions would suit India’s batting style better.
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