IND vs AUS | Rather than waiting for things to happen, India must get ahead of the game, opines Zaheer KhanÂ
India will next face Australia on Sunday
|Zaheer Khan has opined that team India should not wait for things to happen and take matters into their own hands by reflecting upon their mistakes and finding balance in the team. He added that Indian batting does not require much change and just need to understand when they have to be aggressive.
India was absolutely thrashed by Australia in the first ODI to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and assert their dominance on the visiting team. Virat Kohli-led side was outplayed in all three departments, but most importantly they missed having the services of an extra bowler to make up for the front-liners, who were having an off day, resulting in the gigantic target of 375 to chase.Â
Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan opined that since India does not have the luxury of having an extra bowler, the bowlers should try different things and not be predictable to the Australian batsmen. He insisted that India should not wait for things to happen and must get ahead in the game by correcting their mistakes.Â
“You just need to have that mental adjustment. You have to figure out what you could have done differently. Tactically, that’s something that must happen. I would like to see some change of angles from the bowlers, trying to find some other ways. Don’t give them the predictable stuff,” Zaheer said in a video uploaded by Cricbuzz.Â
“These days with the technology everyone is studying, everyone is trying to stay a step ahead of you. So that is something going to be very important from the bowlers. So rather than hoping and waiting for things to happen, you have to be ahead of the game and that is something I would like to see from the next game.”Â
Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya were the only glimmers of hope in the lackluster batting display by the Indian team, where they, at no point looked in contention to win the match. Zaheer added that the Indian batting lineup does not need any major changes and just need to understand various game situations.Â
“As far as batting is concerned, it’s just a little bit of fine tuning in terms of choosing the right options and understanding that when you are ahead of the game and when you have to be aggressive. So you have to find that right balance and things should take care of itself,” he added.Â
India will next lock horns with the Aussies on Sunday at SCG in a must-win game to keep themselves alive in the three-match series.Â
