'Hunger is missing, captain looked clueless': Venkatesh Prasad, fans rip into Team India after T20 series loss

'Hunger is missing, captain looked clueless': Venkatesh Prasad, fans rip into Team India after T20 series loss

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Aug 16, 2023 - 10:14
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'Hunger is missing, captain looked clueless': Venkatesh Prasad, fans rip into Team India after T20 series loss
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India’s T20I series defeat to West Indies, as expected, has not gone down well with experts and fans who have slammed the Men in Blue and captain Hardik Pandya on social media platforms.

In the series decider on Sunday, India suffered an eight-wicket defeat to West Indies at Lauderhill to suffer their first bilateral series (minimum three matches) loss to West Indies since 2006. It was also India’s first bilateral series defeat since 2021 when they lost 2-1 in Sri Lanka.

Batting first, India managed just 165/9 with most of the batters struggling on the slow track. Suryakumar Yadav with his knock of 61 was the only shining light during India’s innings. West Indies on the other hand had no such issues as opener Brandon King smashed 85 not out and Nicholas Pooran scored 47 to guide West Indies to a memorable win in the fifth T20I.

After the bitter defeat, former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad criticised the team in a series of posts on social media and also highlighted that Men in Blue have been an ordinary side for quite a while in white-ball cricket.

“India has been a very very ordinary limited overs side for sometime now. They have been humbled by a West Indies side that failed to qualify for the T20 WC few months back. We had also lost to Ban in the ODI series. Hope they introspect instead of making silly statements,” Prasad posted on X, formerly Twitter.

After the series loss, captain Hardik Pandya said that ‘losing is good” sometimes as it helps in learning.

Venkatesh Prasad in his analysis on X wrote that hunger is missing in the Indian team and that defeats are being brushed under the carpet “under the garb of process”.

“Not just 50 overs, West Indies had failed to qualify for the T20 World cup last Oct- Nov as well. It pains to see India perform poorly and brush it under the carpet, under the garb of process. That hunger, fire is missing and we live in an illusion,” he wrote.

“They are responsible for the debacle and need to be accountable. Process and such words are misused now. MS meant it, guys now just use the word. There is no consistency in selection, random stuff happening too much.”

“India needs to improve their skillset. There is a hunger & intensity deficiency & often the captain looked clueless. Bowler’s can’t bat, batsmen can’t bowl. It’s important to not look for yes men and be blinded because someone is your favourite player but look at the larger good,” he added.

Indian fans were equally enraged by India’s series defeat to West Indies, while others celebrated West Indies’ victory.

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