Ahead of India's final Test match in their series against South Africa in 2024, former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth has expressed strong criticism of the Indian Test team. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth described the team as overrated in the context of Test cricket, following their innings defeat in the first Test at Centurion.
Srikkanth pointed out that some of the current members of the Indian Test squad have not been performing up to expectations recently. He highlighted the exclusion of players like Kuldeep Yadav, who he believes are deserving of a place in the team. This critique comes in light of India's recent performances and selections, which Srikkanth believes do not reflect the true potential of Indian cricket.
"In T20 cricket India are highly over-rated. ODI cricket, we are a fantastic team. What happens in ODis, in the semi-finals, finals, it's just a one-off match. It's a luck factor, a lot depends on luck in these matches. I read Rohit Sharma's statement, for a cricketer, the 50-over World Cup is a huge achievement. We are sometimes underperforming in the knockout matches, int he semi-finals and the final. But we are a gun side in ODI. Regardless of where we play, be it India, Australia or South Africa, we are a gun side," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Reflecting on the team's performance under Virat Kohli's captaincy, Srikkanth acknowledged that India had a successful phase during that period. However, he opined that since then, the team has been relying heavily on its past achievements rather than focusing on current form.
"Test cricket, we are over-rated. We have to make sure... I think it was a phase of 2-3 years... when Virat Kohli was the captain of the team, we were outstanding. We dominated in England, we fought hard in South Africa, we won in Australia. We had a good phase for 2-4 years. Yes, we were dominating in England, in Australia," Srikkanth said.
Despite finishing 2023 as the top-ranked team in all formats, India's inability to clinch any ICC tournaments was a point of concern for Srikkanth. He noted India's losses in the World Test Championship 2023 Final and the ODI World Cup Final against Australia, contrasting them with the sole victory in the Asia Cup 2023.
Srikkanth emphasized that it is crucial for the Indian team to move beyond ICC rankings and reassess the composition of the Test squad. He believes that a reevaluation is necessary to ensure that truly deserving players are given the opportunity to represent India in Test cricket.
"We have to forget ICC ranking. We are always 1-2, 1-2. It's a combination of having over-rated cricketers and people who have not performed up to their potential. Or there are players who have not enough chances like Kuldeeep (Yadav)," Srikkanth said.
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