Batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday said Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys have “embarrassed” the country with their “jelly-like” resistance in the Test series against England and even suggested that those not interested in playing longer-format should quit the Test team.
India >suffered yet another humiliating defeat as they lost the fifth Test by an innings and 244 runs.
“If you do not want to be playing Test cricket for India, quit. Just play limited-overs cricket. You should not be embarrassing your country like that,” Gavaskar said in BBC Radio’s Test Match Special show.
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Gavaskar though said England should be cautious for future series since this win has come against an Indian side which did not play tough cricket.
“Everything about England has been top-class. But, India has shown jelly-like resistance. Therefore, England should not get carried away because there are sterner tests to come,” he said.
Commenting in the same programme, former England captain Michael Vaughan questioned Indian players’ commitment.
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“It’s a disgrace to think that India have been blown away in 29 overs under blue skies on a pitch that was only doing a bit. They should be embarrassed. Some of those strokes were of players who didn’t want to fight for their country,” Vaughan said.
India’s beleaguered cricketers have come under sharp criticism from former players who called for coach Duncan Fletcher’s immediate ouster while questioning Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy .
The players were critical of Fletcher’s role, saying his contribution was “zero” and it was high time that he be replaced.
“What was Fletcher doing after we won the Lord’s Test on a difficult pitch? This is where he lacked imagination in keeping the lead. Yes, I think Fletcher has to go,” said former captain Ajit Wadekar. Regarding Dhoni, Wadekar said, “He changed his technique and batted well. But why he did not change his tactics as captain foxes me”
Former batting great Gundappa Viswanath felt Dhoni often hopes for a miracle to bail his team out of difficult situations.
“I’m not happy with his keeping and captaincy; he’s got his own mind. He always keeps repeating that. He always expects a miracle. Miracles cannot happen all the time. It happens once in a blue moon,” Viswanath said.
Ex-spinner Erapalli Prassana said, “I am categorically saying that Fletcher’s contribution to the team was a big zero.”
Former middle-order batsman Chandu Borde, who led India in one Test, criticised the technique of the current lot.
“I am surprised these youngsters did not change their technique which a player like (Alastair) Cook did after England’s defeat at Lord’s by standing a few feet outside the crease to counter Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing bowling.”