Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel launched a scathing attack on Indian batsmen over their poor performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy tournament in Australia. India's star-studded batting line-up has failed to live up to expectations so far.
Batting stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have been below par so far. Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored centuries in India's win in Perth but were unable to make an impact in the last two Tests in Adelaide and Brisbane.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are yet to assert their authority. Gill made some starts but was unable to turn them into big starts. Meanwhile, Rohit looked woefully out of form after being moved to number six.
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Parthiv Patel talks about the recent collapses in India
While speaking to Cricbuzz, Parthiv Patel mentioned India's recent collapses against both pace and bowling. It is believed that those collapses did not happen due to extreme aggression but due to the lack of discipline shown by the Indian batsmen.
Patel feels that Indian batsmen need to respect the traditional style of Test cricket and need to apply themselves rather than trying to play reckless shots in order to achieve success in the red-ball format.
“There is no doubt that collapses will happen, especially in the domestic league. We witnessed collapses on the pitches against New Zealand. When we toured Australia, the collapses continued there,” Patel noted.
“I don't think this has happened because of too much aggression. If we respect the traditional pattern of Test cricket and bat with discipline, these are the same batsmen who performed well previously. Indian batsmen need to work harder because they have the ability. If they handle discipline, they can,” he added. Success anywhere.
Indian fighters have been subject to several collapses in recent times. Even during the home Test season, the Men in Blue suffered several collapses and were eventually stunned by the visiting New Zealand team 0-3.
Virat Kohli's poor form in Test cricket
Being the two biggest players of the team, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are under immense pressure to perform. But both have been struggling to run lately. Kohli smashed an unbeaten 100 off 143 balls in the second innings of the Perth Test.
However, his weakness outside off stump has been evident again since then. Virat Kohli was constantly troubled by the ball in the fourth and fifth overs as the Australian bowlers were constantly testing him.
In three Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests so far, Virat Kohli has scored 126 runs at an average of 31.50. In the five home Tests that preceded it, the 36-year-old scored 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33.
Rohit Sharma's numbers since India's home Test season
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has poor numbers. He was scheduled to open earlier in the series but missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child. Rohit returned to the team for the second Test and has played ever since.
However, its numbers have declined dramatically. He has scored 19 runs in two Tests so far at an average of 6.33. In the home Test season, Rohit Sharma amassed 133 runs in 10 innings at an average of 13.30.