India paying price at Lord's for lack of preparation, claims legend Sunil Gavaskar

Sudhir Gupta 11:39 12/08/2018
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  • Murali Vijay watches his stumps go flying at Lord's.

    Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the country’s batsmen for not ‘showing a semblance of technique’ in their first innings at Lord’s.

    The tourists failed poorly with the bat in the second Test after being bowled out for just 107 and face a real battle to save the match with England in possession of a commanding 250-run lead.

    England will be looking to pile on more runs on day four and Gavaskar insists their average scores in three innings so far (274 and 162 at Edgbaston) is down to the lack of preparation.

    “The batsmen have to raise their hands and show not just grit and determination but also a semblance of technique,” he wrote in his column for Times of India. 

    “Their lack of red-ball practice and preparation is evident and the seaming conditions in the three innings so far haven’t helped. It was a test not by fire but by ice because of the overcast conditions. The Indian batsmen seemed frozen and unable to move their feet. Having said that, it wouldn’t have been easy for any other team either as England have a top-class new-ball attack.”

    But the 69-year-old former batsman also praised James Anderson and Chris Woakes, who took 5-20 and 2-19 respectively, with the latter also completing his century.

    “No praise can be too high for Jimmy Anderson, who bowled splendidly,” he said. “He utilised the typical English conditions and his late outswingers looked like fast leg-breaks, so much was the movement away from the right-handed batsmen. He was well supported by Chris Woakes, who too got the ball to move sharply away, and Sam Curran the left-armer, who got the ball to move in the opposite direction towards the batsmen pads.”

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