'Plenty of honest introspection needed' - Sunil Gavaskar on India's poor run in Ireland and England

Batting stalwart Sunil Gavaskar has claimed the need for the Indian side to be smarter and more proactive in their approach to their game after their recent results away from home.

While the 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe has looked promising, India's results in England and Ireland have drawn much scrutiny from experts and fans alike. The Men in Blue, in their first assignment since the victorious T20 World Cup campaign in March of this year, were whitewashed 2-0 by a spirited Irish side in Belfast. This was followed by a 4-0 sweep in the five-match T20I series at the hands of England, losing their number 1 spot in the ICC rankings. India were also beaten 2-1 in the three-match ODI series, with the victory at Edgbaston being their only win on the tour.

Gavaskar has stated that the team needs to get better at picking its moments and playing smart cricket, based on the needs of the situation. Indian batters often struggled against short-pitched bowling in England, with Gavaskar identifying the need for the team to better pick their matchups.

“There is a lot of hard work ahead for the team. A good, honest reflection on what the shortcomings were and how to overcome them is the need of the hour. Shot selection is very important, and here the batter has to rein in his ego and not try to live up to an image, but play the ball on its merits. Above all, it’s necessary to play smart cricket. So, figure out the bowler who doesn’t need to be counter-attacked. Then target the bowlers against whom you can make up for the quiet over from the better bowler,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar, as reported by the Hindustan Times

India were also let down by their fielding on the tour, falling prey to misfields and dropped chances. Gavaskar emphasised the need for the team's collective improvement in fielding and execution of plans in game situations. He stated that there is no need for panic and that it is minor details that need improvement, which would come with introspection. 

“Most of all, it’s mandatory that if a player is an average fielder, he has to be shown the door. There is simply no way a captain has to hide three or four players, hoping the ball won’t go anywhere near them. The bowlers also must look at the slow bouncer once again and see how cleverly Sam Curran used the slow, loopy deliveries. As I said, there’s no need to press the emergency button as yet. However, there’s plenty of honest introspection needed. There also has to be a lot more thought put into the execution of each individual’s speciality if the Indian team is to get back to winning ways,” he added.

India will be in action next in the Test format, heading to Sri Lanka for a two-match series, which will commence on August 15. Colombo and Galle will play host to the series.