England secured a 125-run victory over India in the third T20I at Trent Bridge to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Speaking on JioHotstar’s Match Centre Live, JioStar experts Anil Kumble and Abhishek Nayar shared their thoughts on India’s team combination, the omission of Kuldeep Yadav, and the road ahead in the series.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Anil Kumble reflected on India’s batting collapse against England:
“It was an abject surrender by the Indian team. You don’t expect a world champion side to cave in like that. England’s bowlers were right on the money. Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue stuck to a clear plan. They bowled short, they bowled quick, and they kept the pressure on. Both were clocking over 145 kmph, making life difficult for the Indian batters, who couldn’t free their arms or find any rhythm. The Indian batters needed to show more patience and application, but everyone just tried to attack instead of absorbing the pressure. Yes, the required rate was over 10, but someone had to take responsibility and bat deep. Instead, they went the aggressive route and paid the price with a batting collapse. It was a disappointing surrender by the Indian batting line up.”
On how constant changes in the playing XI are hurting India:
“The Indian team has made too many changes to their lineup and that needs to stop. The batting has stayed mostly the same. Yes, Sanju has been dropped and Vaibhav has come in, but other than that, it’s almost the same. But the bowlers keep changing. Prasidh Krishna was dropped after one bad game against Ireland. Prince Yadav came in, bowled well, and picked three wickets in the second T20I, but India still lost that game. As a new captain, you need to stick with your five bowlers. Batters will score runs, but bowlers win you matches. India was complacent in Ireland, thinking they would just turn up and win. They didn’t adapt to the conditions. They forced themselves, thinking they would play their way come what may. Once you lose those games and then you face a team like England on their home soil, it becomes tough because this English side is good and experienced. You need to adapt and change along the way. Also, the decision of sending out Harshit Rana to bat ahead of a more complete batter like Shivam Dube was wrong. In T20 cricket, you put your best batters upfront. You can’t expect a number eight guy to win you a game by sending him to bat ahead of a proven guy. That’s not how things work in modern day cricket.”
On the need for having Kuldeep Yadav in the squad:
“Kuldeep Yadav certainly didn’t have a great season in the IPL, but he is a champion bowler. He should have been a part of the squad for this England tour. He was part of the side that won the T20 World Cup, and now he is not part of the squad here in England, nor the team going to Zimbabwe. So yes, it means they have moved on from Kuldeep after just one poor IPL season. I certainly feel that when you pick players, you need to keep backing them. Ups and downs are part and parcel of life. They keep happening, but that doesn’t mean failures end up with you getting dropped from the squad. But I think it’s important to also say, okay, who are your main bowlers and who are your bowlers who have done well? It’s not like Kuldeep is 38 years old and you are looking to bring in the next youngster. He is 31, has a lot of cricket to offer, and he doesn’t play all three formats regularly. He doesn’t play much Test cricket, so it’s not like he is burdened and needs to be rested. He needs to play.”
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Abhishek Nayar weighed in on India’s run chasing problem:
“There is only one way to look at India’s struggles, and it boils down to a few factors: fatigue, playing conditions, and the mental state of the team. The players have been on the road for months, from the T20 World Cup to the IPL, followed by series against Afghanistan, Ireland, and now England, with barely any time to recover. In India, timing the ball and playing aggressive shots is much easier than in England. Look at Phil Salt and Jos Buttler. They took their time to settle before going big. That is very different from how this Indian team has played. When you haven’t got runs while chasing, it affects your confidence and game plan. This is the third time in the last five games India has tried to chase and failed. Even against Ireland, they couldn’t chase down the target in both games. Here in the third T20I, they could not cross 100 while chasing 202. Right now, the mentality seems to be to bat first and defend totals. The confidence is low. And once that happens in T20 cricket, it becomes a difficult hole to get out of.”
On India being winless in their last five T20I games and the pressure on Captain Shreyas Iyer:
“In tough times like these, you reflect and talk a lot. But in T20s, when runs aren’t coming, it’s more about the batters’ mindset and form than captaincy. When Shreyas Iyer took over as captain and went to Ireland, he believed this team could win. But once you start losing, no matter how big a name you are or how good a captain you are, if you don’t have recent form, it gets difficult. This Indian team is struggling because they don’t have runs behind them. They are looking for match winners but aren’t able to find them. That makes it tough for the captain. It’s not just about what the captain can do alone. The support staff needs to give players confidence and keep the environment positive. They must treat players the same way they did when they first arrived. It’s easy to point fingers, but this is where you regroup, stay together, and trust that tough times will pass. Shreyas and everyone else need to keep the team together and turn things around.”
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