India won't succeed without responsible batting: Gavaskar

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 Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called on India’s batting unit to take greater responsibility ahead of the T20I series decider against West Indies in Bengaluru, identifying the team’s struggles while chasing as a major concern after their latest defeat.
 

With the visitors keeping the contest alive through an impressive all-round display, Gavaskar believes India must translate their reputation as back-to-back T20 World Cup champions into a more commanding batting performance, particularly under dew-assisted conditions, if they are to secure the series.

Gavaskar’s criticism centred on India’s inability to build on a promising start from Sanju Samson, whose contribution offered the hosts an opportunity to establish control during the chase. However, the subsequent batters failed to sustain the momentum, allowing the West Indies to seize control of the contest.

“The first thing this Indian side needs to improve is how they chase. On a pitch like this, with the dew coming in, you have to show the kind of dominance with the bat that a back-to-back T20 World Cup winning team should, but that was missing completely in this game. Sanju gave India a great start, but the rest of the batters didn’t capitalise at all. Abhishek Sharma played a poor knock, which is not acceptable by his standards. Ishan Kishan fell right into Keemo Paul’s trap, and Shreyas Iyer has not got going since his hundred,” Gavaskar told JioStar. 

Gavaskar was particularly critical of the middle order’s inability to convert a solid platform into a competitive chase. Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal, Ishan Kishan’s failure against Keemo Paul and Shreyas Iyer’s continued search for form following his century were among the concerns he identified. In his view, India cannot afford repeated lapses in execution when the series is at stake.

“The batting unit needs to show more responsibility. Yes, I know the bowling has been poor, but these bowlers are not experienced. They are new to international cricket, and they will need to get hit for boundaries, otherwise they will not learn. For India to win the decider, they should bat first, put up 240 to 250 and then keep West Indies to a low total. If the batters don’t take responsibility, this Indian side will not succeed,” he added. 

The series decider, scheduled to take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, will therefore test more than India’s ability to respond to a setback. 

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