Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif criticised the Indian batter for their poor outing against Bangladesh in the first ODI on Sunday. It was a forgettable day for the Indian team as they lost the series opener by 1 wicket as the batters failed to put to a formidable total after being asked to bat first. The star trinity of Shikhar Dhawan (7), Rohit Sharma (27) and Virat Kohli (9) returned to the Indian team after a long time but the trio failed to score big on Sunday, as a result, India were bundled out for just 186. KL Rahul was the highest scorer for India with a 73-run knock but he didn’t get much support from the other end.
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Kaif suggested India need star batters like Kohli and Rohit to put up big scores. He further pointed out that Rohit has not been consistent with the bat after taking over the captaincy charge which is a concerning sign for the team.
“You have to bat well. We are talking a lot about the bowling, they batted badly. We lost the match because of batting. We need runs from Virat Kohli. We need runs from Rohit Sharma the captain. Rohit Sharma has not been in form as a captain, he has not been able to score regularly,” Kaif said on Sony Sports.
The former India batter also criticised the team selection in the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand where India didn’t pick the sixth bowler in the first match.
“They played three matches in New Zealand, Laxman was there. They lost the first match after conceding 306 runs. After that, they made changes, brought in Hooda as the sixth bowler. After that, when the third ODI came, it was a seaming track where they needed an extra fast bowler, they played the same team,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kaif advised India to back Kuldeep Sen for the next two games despite a mixed outing in his debut match. The young pacer claimed two wickets on Sunday but was a bit expensive, however, Kaif said that India have to keep faith in him if he has been given a debut cap.
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“If they make changes, there will be commotion. If you played any young player, Kuldeep Sen should play all three matches. If you have backed someone and you change that decision because you lost the match, I believe you are not a good captain or coach. Kuldeep Sen was given the cap, it was not his mistake, but the cap is being distributed a lot. He picked up two wickets but proved a little expensive. Overall I will want you to play him. He has pace, he couldn’t bowl well under pressure today but you have to back him,” Kaif said.
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