Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan has levelled a lot of criticism at India and the team management, calling them the 'most under-performing white-ball team in history, after their disappointing 10-wicket loss to England in the first semifinal of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Adelaide on Thursday, November 10.
India entered the tournament as favourites but had to learn a lesson on how to play true T20I cricket as the Englishmen ran riot of their opponents, chasing down the required target of 168 runs in just 16 overs.
After the game, Vaughan and questioned India's white-ball tactics, "Since winning 50 over World Cup what have they done? Nothing. India are playing a white-ball game that is dated and have done for years. India are the most underperforming white-ball team in history. Every player in the world who goes to the Indian Premier League says how it improves their game but what have India ever delivered?" Vaughan said in his column for The Telegraph.
"I am just staggered by how they play T20 cricket for the talent they have. They have the players, but just do not have the right process in place. They have to go for it. Why do they give the opposition bowlers the first five overs to bed in?"
He also lambasted the management's decision to bench spinner Yuzvendra Chahal throughout the tournament, with the spinner not getting a single game in the tournament. "We know in T20 cricket the stats tell you a team needs a spinner who can turn it both ways. India have plenty of leg spinners. Where are they? They have a left-arm pacer in Arshdeep Singh who swings it back into the right-handers," he said
"So what do they do defending 168? They put on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's bowling outswing to give Jos Buttler and Alex Hales width. Where is the left-arm seamer swinging it into Buttler and Hales in the first over? Madness. Cramp them for room. Do not give them a chance to get off to a flyer in the first over and settle nerves," Vaughan added.
The former skipper did not shy away from pointing out that people fear criticising the team in India, especially questioning the workings of the BCCI, which is the richest board in world cricket, and its team on social media.
"Nobody wants to criticise them because you get hammered on social media and pundits worry about losing work in India one day. But it is time to tell it straight. They can hide behind their great players but it is about getting a team to play the right way as a whole. Their bowling options are too few, they do not bat deep enough and lack spin tricks," Vaughan said.
The Three Lions will now face Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 13.