Indian Team Reminds Me of West Indies of Two Years Back. Who Said This?

Disinterested and don’t want to be here. That is how the former West Indies fast bowler turned commentator who also goes by the nickname of Whispering Death described the Indian cricket in England. That hint should give it away.

Indian cricket team

Michael Holding expressed disappointment on air of how inept the Indian cricket team has proved on tour. Commenting for Sky Sports television on the India England series, Holding felt that since the Indians failed to combat the first innings of the third Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, it revealed a great deal about the mindset of the Indian cricket team that has been consistent since they played in the first at Lord’s.

In Holding’s opinion the Indian cricket team has looked disinterested in the challenge of playing England in England and that there is the distinct perception that the Indian cricket team simply does not want to be here. While Holding’s comments are truth in perception judging by the body language of the players, it is not because the Indian cricketers do not want to play against England or in England but rather that their build up has not been enterprising enough to engage them in the contests that lay ahead.

While there is a sense of collective failure on the part of the players, board and team management in how India’s fortunes have dipped to a low point in three years, that Holding compares the present Indian cricket, not on talent but only body language, to the West Indies as the latter struggle to cope with competitive era in what has essentially been a dying phase for their cricketing greatness, is just one of the many opinions stated.

Some of the former England cricketers such as Sir Geoffrey Boycott compared India’s performance to the lowly ranked Bangladesh team while others have stated that the gulf between the rising England cricket team and the stagnating the Indian cricket team was too wide to even pose a challenge. England were already sounding off on the no.1 Test team status even before the series took off and India have done little thereafter to thwart or dent that perception, instead virtually handing over the reins on a silver platter.

Although India have done well for themselves over the past couple of years to hold that title despite previous Tests, with England being the livelier Test team apart from the rest with the wherewithal to push limits, particularly on their own turf, there were concerns after several Indian cricketers skipped the tour of the West Indies due to injury or rest concerns and therefore, India were coming into the Test series having last played against South Africa in January.

England, on the other hand, have looked ready, prepared and sharp and the Test series has predictably swung their way. But the manner in which India have succumbed tamely time after time have raised doubts about the merits of the team being billed as the top team because while they have proved they are worthy of the title in the past, the past holds little bearing on the present proceedings and the fact that India have come into the series on the back of reputation rather than redoing the ground work has been badly exposed. It was not so much the loss as the manner of defeat that will haunt India for a while. It is so under par a performance from the Indian cricket that it will be hard to forget.