Ego, overconfident- these are some of the words used by legendary Sunil Gavaskar to describe Team India after last night’s 76-run defeat against South Africa.
Sunil Gavaskar feels that India should take notes from South Africa to improve their game. The way Proteas switched their approach during the match impressed Gavaskar.
Sunil Gavaskar suggested that Team India learn from South Africa
Like many cricket experts and Indian cricket fans, Sunil Gavaskar too is disgusted to see Team India in such a vulnerable state. The former India opener suggested the Suryakumar Yadav-led team learn something from South Africa. The way Indian batters lost their wickets made Gavaskar furious.
“India did not take notes from South Africa’s innings. They came out and threw their bat at every delivery hoping for a boundary. That is not how you play T20 cricket” Sunil Gavaskar said on JioStar, as quoted by PTI.
“You have to learn from the opposition. If they have scored well on a tricky surface like this, you have to get rid of your ego, observe and adjust”, he further added.
Gavaskar especially praised Dewald Brevis and David Miller for their batting efforts
The partnership between Dewald Brevis and David Miller was one of the key points of the match. Tristan Stubbs also added a significant amount of runs, though the pitch was not easy for the batters.
India needed a partnership like Brevis and Miller did. But the Men in Blue were not able to do that. Instead of showing some patience on the ground, they went to play their usual attacking game and failed miserably.
“Having seen how Brevis and Miller built their partnership, that was the approach needed from the Indian batters,” The Indian cricket legend said on JioStar.
The Indian cricket legend called the Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India batter overconfident
Criticising Indian batters, the ex-cricketer described them as overconfident. Sunil Gavaskar clearly said that South Africa was the deserving winner in Ahmedabad last night.
“The Indian batters did not do that. They came out with overconfidence, threw their bat at everything, and lost wickets. South Africa clearly outsmarted India, and it was a well-deserved win for them,” he added.
After winning the toss, South Africa went to bat first and registered 187 for 7 in 20 overs, supported by Dewald Brevis’ 45, David Miller’s 63, and an unbeaten 44-run knock from Tristan Stubbs. In reply, India was able to score only 111 runs against all ten wickets. Apart from Shivam Dube, who scored 42, no other Indian batters performed according to their reputations in the crucial match of the Super 8 round.
After the conclusion of the South Africa match, Team India will have to play two more matches in the Super 8 phase, which will be against Zimbabwe and the West Indies. The Indian national team currently has no option but to win the remaining two matches to keep the semi-finals hope alive for the 2026 T20 World Cup title.
