In just over a week's time, Team India will begin its ICC T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan. The contest is scheduled to take place on October 23 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Men in Blue are currently acclimatising to the conditions Down Under. Rohit Sharma and the Indian management are still searching for an answer to certain persisting questions, one of them being the team's poor bowling performance in the shortest format of the game in recent times.
Since Asia Cup 2022, Indian bowlers have struggled immensely, especially in the death overs. They have leaked plenty of runs in the slog overs of the innings with 19th over time and again proving to be their Achilles heels.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri reflected on India's sharp decline in bowling off late and responded strongly by putting the blame on the management.
"(Yes) Man-management is the key, these are not school kids, they are millionaires, each one has a mindset of his own, how you deal with those players is extremely important. You should know how to crack the whip, when to speak to the guy and what platform, is it individual, one to one, that kind of experience in not bought and sold in the market. You have got to have it. I think, I had it," Shastri told Ayaz Memon at a 'Meet-the-media programme' at the Mumbai Press Club.
Shastri is of the opinion that the Men in Blue will need to improve their fielding ahead of their 2022 T20 World Cup campaign on Australian soil. Shastri, who left the Indian team after the 2021 T20 World Cup, said that India will need to raise their standard to match that of Australia, England, and Australia. As per Shastri, saving runs in the outfield will help India, and benefit the team as a whole, especially in the batting department.
"The emphasis on fitness becomes very critical. In my time we had the Yo-Yo test. A lot of people laughed at it. The test was never for selection, it was for creating awareness among the players. It made a massive difference, not just in the way they played, but the way they moved on the field. What is worrying (now) is the number of times you have allowed the opposition to score over 200 runs in the last few months. People will blame the bowling, but it is also the fielding," he added.
