23 June,2015 12:53 PM IST | | Harit N Joshi
The full Indian team should be held responsible for the ODI series loss to Bangladesh and not only the Indian captain, says former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar
In the build-up to the Bangladesh series, the Indian broadcaster beamed an ad which said 'bacha ab bacha nahi raha'. The term bacha (kid) probably may not have gone down well with India's neighbours as the Tigers stamped their authority over Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men with a thumping victory on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and also shed the minnows tag.
Dilip Vengsarkar
It was the first time that India lost a bilateral series to Bangladesh. It was also for the first time that India lost two successive ODIs to Bangladesh ever. In the aftermath of the loss, skipper Dhoni also offered to quit if that helps the team's change fortunes. However, former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar said there was no need for a knee-jerk reaction to the series loss. "I would not like to read too much into what Dhoni has said in the media.
He led India to reach the 2015 World Cup semi-finals. We don't need to change the captain. He is still our best bet. I feel the team is to be blamed for the loss and not only the skipper. It is a team game, after all," said Vengsarkar, whose selection committee picked Dhoni as captain for the 2007 World T20 event in South Africa. The rest is history.
India players walk back to the pavilion during the rain interval against Bangladesh in first ODI at Mirpur on Thursday. Pic:AP/PTI
Vengsarkar said the loss should be treated as a wake-up call. "It is of course disheartening to lose to Bangladesh. It is like an alarm for us. The problem is we are playing the same team for many years now. It has resulted in the opposition knowing our players' strengths and weaknesses.
We have a very predictable and monotonous approach for every game. It is time we promote good talents from the India 'A' team for the international stage," said Vengsarkar. The former chairman of selectors did not suggest wholesale changes in the team, but felt the Indian team needs an energy-booster. "They looked rusty. I did not see the enthusiasm and zeal as compared to the Bangladeshi players. The players lacked energy," concluded Vengsarkar.
55.55
India's win percentage under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership in ODIs
