T20 World Cup 2022: "Let’s not judge our team only by this performance" - Sachin Tendulkar backs Team India after semi-final loss to England
Former Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar has backed the Men in Blue following their semi-final exit in the T20 World Cup 2022. Tendulkar believes that Team India doesn't deserve criticism based on just one performance.
Rohit Sharma's side succumbed to a ten-wicket loss against England in the second semi-final of the World Cup on Thursday, November 10 after being outplayed across departments. After a clinical bowling performance to restrict India to 168, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales blasted their way to the target, achieving it in 16 overs.
We leave Australian shores short of achieving our dream and with disappointment in our hearts but we can take back a lot of memorable moments as a group and aim to get better from here on. https://t.co/l5NHYMZXPA
In a recent video uploaded by ANI, the highest run-getter in Tests and ODIs admitted that it was a disappointing performance. However, Tendulkar urged fans to stick with the side and support them through thick and thin. He said:
"It was a tough game for us, 170 for no loss, that’s a bad defeat. Rather disappointing. But also, let’s not judge our team only by this performance because we have been the world's number one T20 side as well. To get to that number-one spot, it does not happen overnight. You have to play good cricket over a period of time and that is what the team has done."
He continued:
"By no means I’m trying to say that these performances are okay, the players also did not want to go out and fail. But every day it doesn’t happen. In sport, these ups and downs are there. It cannot be that victory is ours and losses are theirs. We have to be in it together."
The inaugural T20 champions didn't have a great start with the bat as they lost KL Rahul in the second over, while Rohit Sharma struggled to get going. Hardik Pandya's impetus in the death overs was pivotal in India posting a total of 168.
"Maybe 190 or around that would’ve been a good total" - Sachin Tendulkar on semi-final against England
Tendulkar also underlined that a total of 168 runs was never going to be enough at a venue like the Adelaide Oval, given the short square boundaries. He said:
"168 at the Adelaide Oval wasn’t a great total because the dimensions of the ground are completely different. The side boundaries are really really short. Maybe 190 or around that would’ve been a good total. 168 at Adelaide is equivalent to 150 or so on any other ground and to me, that is not a competitive total.
"Let’s accept that we did not put up a good total on the board. So was the case with our bowling, when it came to picking wickets we were unsuccessful."
India are still playing very conservative cricket. It was an issue they hoped to address and, in all fairness did, in bilateral cricket. But here at the World Cup, India were constantly hoping the back 10 overs would bail them out. Today, it wasn't enough
India's next assignment is the limited-overs tour of New Zealand. They will play three ODIs and as many T20Is, starting on November 18.