‘Not surprised’: Former India cricketer explains reason for Ireland’s drubbing | Cricket News
New Delhi: Former India batsman Ambati Rayudu Admitted he was “not surprised” by India’s 0-2 T20I series defeat at Ireland and said the reigning world champion was simply not prepared for the vastly different scenario after a high-scoring season in the Indian Premier League.India, led by Shreyas Iyer, suffered a historic series whiteout after losing the second T20I by one run in Belfast, with their batsmen struggling to adjust to the slow, double-paced pitch.“No, I’m not surprised because I don’t think they were fully prepared for the situations they encountered,” Rayudu told PTI. “Going from a very flat track to a slightly softer wicket (with some lateral movement as well) is always very, very difficult.”The former India international feels that the transition from batting-friendly IPL pitches to Test conditions in Ireland has exposed technical flaws in the batting unit.“Most players are used to such a fast swing, and control of the middle game and downswing is a major issue,” the 40-year-old explained.
Rayudu recognizes the challenges faced by Tilak, urges patience with Sooryavanshi
Rayudu also highlighted the areas where India vice-captain Tilak Varma needs to improve despite his knock of 55 in the second T20I.“It’s not just his mental approach, it’s been a struggle for him over a period of time against slow bowling on slow surfaces,” Rayudu said. “Every time he gets a wicket where the ball doesn’t really hit the bat, we’ve seen him have some difficulty in picking up the pace.”According to Rayudu, Tilak’s reluctance to use his feet to counter spin restricted his scoring options on slower tracks.“Against spinners, he prefers to get into square boundaries… He doesn’t use his feet very much. He doesn’t sweep the ball down the court and there are a lot of shots he doesn’t take in a conventional manner. If he improves that aspect of his game, then improving the pace will be secondary and a by-product of that,” he explained.The former Chennai Super Kings batsman also joined the clamor for 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his India debut after he was left out of both matches against Ireland.“It’s always good to go with experienced openers, they performed very well and won the World Cup. Giving them a chance to start, ample chances is very, very important,” Rayudu said.“He is getting a taste of what the Indian dressing room is like, what is expected, what his role has to be. So, he will learn a lot on this tour which will ultimately help him. But I will not rush him into bilateral matches just because we have not won a few games,” he added.Despite India’s disappointing results, Rayudu believes the upcoming five-match T20I series in England will pose a completely different challenge.“I wouldn’t read too much into it because going into England, these wickets are much better than what they’ve faced here,” he said, expressing confidence that the conditions will be more suitable for India’s batting style.
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