"When you do bang bang for 70 days in the IPL, you cannot change your game in just a week's time" - Salman Butt on Indian batters
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has questioned the shot selection of Indian batters following the side's 209-run loss to Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2023) final at The Oval.
He suggested that the batters failed to deliver in the red-ball encounter as they had to play a long Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) season just before the WTC 2023 final. Butt opined that it isn't easy for batters to shift formats when there isn't enough time between matches.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he explained:
"The Indian batters played some shots that you don't expect in Test cricket. Yes, you can criticize the batters for their shot selections, but there are several things you need to consider.
"The game is about muscle memory. When you do bang bang for 70 days in the IPL, you cannot change your game in just a week's time. So, when there is a ball to hit, the bat comes down automatically because you have been working on it for a few months."
Butt further stated that Australia managed to emerge victorious despite not playing their best cricket, adding:
"The Australian team didn't play a lot of cricket ahead of the WTC final. Their players were a bit rusty. Australia weren't at their best but still won. You can imagine what would have happened if they played their best cricket. India were also far from their best when it came to their batting, decision-making, and team selection."
Notably, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Cheteshwar Pujara received widespread criticism for throwing their wickets away in the summit clash against Australia.
"India must do something about the pitches they use" - Salman Butt's suggestion to Rohit Sharma and Co.
Salman Butt reckons that preparing rank turners for their home Test matches has hurt India. He pointed out how batters tend to be short of confidence after playing on tracks where scoring runs is incredibly challenging.
He highlighted that the wickets in Australia are much better as compared to India, considering that there is something on offer for both the batters and the bowlers, elaborating:
"Playing at home is an advantage, but it depends on whom you give that advantage to. The pitches that you get in Australia, batters score big runs, and the bowlers also manage to pick up wickets.
"There is a balance there. But India make spin-oriented pitches for their home Test matches, where scoring 150 is also very tough. What can the batters do on such wickets, and from where will they bring confidence? I think India must do something about the pitches they use."
The Indian players will be on a short break after the WTC 2023 final. The side's next assignment will be a tour of West Indies. It will be a multi-format series that kicks off on July 12.