The BCCI on Wednesday refused to react to widespread criticism about the lack of preparation by the Indian team in the run-up to the Test series against England which it is trailing 0-2 right now.
“I don't react to media criticisms. I don't want to react to anything,” BCCI chief Shashank Manohar told PTI from Nagpur.
India, fighting to retain the World No. 1 ranking, has been thrashed by huge margins in the first two Tests by host England and is in clear danger of losing the four-match series.
England needs to win the rubber by a two-match margin to overtake India and shoot to the top of the official ICC Test rankings.
Among the strong critics was Sourav Ganguly, who blamed the absence of enough warm-up games for the team's predicament.
“I am a firm believer that every time you tour, you need at least two warm-up games and they absolutely could have played an extra game,” said the Bengal stalwart, who retired from international cricket a few years ago.
India captain Dhoni, under fire after having lost the first match at Lord's — the 100th encounter between the two rivals — by 196 runs and the next at Trent Bridge by 319 runs, conceded that the preparations for the series had not been ideal. “It's a mental thing as well, because for some of us it's been a seven-match Test series with hardly a gap. The preparation needs to be slightly different which is why we are saying the next ten days are important for us — not only physically but mentally as well,” the Ranchi-born wicket-keeper batsman said in England.
India had one extra day's rest after being beaten within four days in Nottingham. It had arrived in England straight after completing a three-Test series in the West Indies that Dhoni took part in.
The Indians now have a two-day tour game in Northampton before the do-or-die third Test of the rubber scheduled in Edgbaston, Birmingham, from August 10.
The final Test is to be played at The Oval from Aug. 18.
