T20 World Cup 2021: "I don't know with what mindset and attitude were they playing" - Shoaib Akhtar slams Indian team after their loss against New Zealand
Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar was left bewildered by India's gameplan in their crushing defeat to New Zealand in Match 26 of the T20 World Cup 2021. Akhtar slammed Virat Kohli's men for their attitude and mindset in the crunch tie against the Kiwis.
After losing the toss for the second time, India were asked to put runs on the board in the first innings. However, another failure by the top order batters meant the Men in Blue scored only 110 runs in the first innings in Dubai.
Thanks to a pretty average score and a substandard bowling display by the Indian bowlers, the Kiwi batters completed a simple, eight-wicket win. Kane Williamson's side won the game by eight wickets and earned two crucial points to move up the table.
Shoaib Akhtar reviewed the match via a video on his official YouTube channel and criticized India's tactics in the game. You can watch his video below:
In his video, the former pacer mentioned that he had no idea regarding team India's gameplan against the Blackcaps. Citing some failed Indian tactics, Akhtar said:
"I don't know with what mindset and attitude they were playing. Why did Rohit bat at 3, why did they open with Ishan Kishan? Hardik Pandya, bowling pretty late in the innings, should've bowled earlier. I have no idea whatsoever about India's gameplan. It was a completely lost Indian squad."
Weighing on the subject further, Akhtar slammed India for their "average" performance yesterday (October 31). According to the former Pakistani cricketer, he knew that the Indian side would struggle because of the immense pressure from the Indian media on the team.
"It never seemed as if India turned up for this game or not. Average performance by team India. After all the hype and pressure from the Indian media, I knew that the team would struggle. Again, the team proved to be a weak bowling side," said Akhtar.
"The match against Afghanistan could be a misfortune for India" - Shoaib Akhtar
The former cricketer-turned-expert also warned India a couple of days before their clash against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Akhtar feels that if India doesn't turn up against Afghanistan, they will be in serious trouble.
"The match against Afghanistan can be a misfortune for India. If India wants to keep their respect intact, they will have to somehow win the match against Afghanistan."
The former right-armer also exclaimed that if Afghanistan wins the toss and asked India to bat first, the latter will face a major problem.
"What I can understand right now, is that, if Afghanistan wins the toss and elects to bowl first, it will be a major problem for team India. That match is in Abu Dhabi, and again, the ball stops on the surface there. Even if India score 150 or 170, Afghanistan will not spare them. It is not looking good for India right now."
The encounter between Asian neighbors India and Afghanistan will be crucial for the nations. The loser of that particular match will most likely get knocked out in the group stages of the T20 World Cup 2021. The match will be played in Abu Dhabi on November 3.
Sensational New Zealand stun India in Dubai to leave them teetering on the edge.
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