Former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja has criticized India’s batting approach and said it has almost become paralysis. India was skittled out for a paltry score of 186 runs in the first ODI against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka on Sunday.
The Indian batters could not get going after they were put into bat by Bangladesh stand-in skipper Litton Das. KL Rahul top-scored with 73 runs but the rest of the batters could not get going on the slow pitch.
Shakib Al Hasan was the pick of the bowlers for the home team as he scalped five wickets and conceded only 36 runs in his quota of 10 overs. Furthermore, Ebadot Hossain took four wickets for the Tigers.
India has adopted a sedate approach in the limited overs format and has failed to find the top gear in their batting.
Ajay Jadeja said on Sony Sports, “There is too much analysis these days, it has almost become paralysis. If you decide before a World Cup how you are going to play, then that’s what happened in today’s conditions. You will get out, you will make mistakes but it would have been different if you had gotten out fighting for 50 overs.”
Jadeja hailed the Indian bowlers for their fine show and for taking the match till the end. But India could only play 41.2 overs and it cost them big.
“Then I would have said the bowling was very good. But it is not that a bowler got you out. You never went into defensive mode. You are still in the attacking mode and even your tail was not left to play 20% of the game.”
Jadeja added India is coming into matches with a pre-decided plan and they are not coming with a fresh approach, which is leading to their downfall.
“You are pre-empting the reading of the game and you have pre-decided that you want to play like that. The game is not that easy, you have to respect it daily. This game has a specialty that conditions dictate the play. This will happen if you don’t respect the game.”
“That is why there is slightly more disappointment. It is not the first or last time they have gotten out, it would have been understandable if you had been dismissed 10 overs early while defending but if you are in attacking mode and left 15 overs in the game, somewhere or the other they lacked in the thinking and not in the game.”
The second ODI will be played at the same venue on Wednesday.
