Former India selector and World Cup winner Sandeep Patil criticizes Kohli and Shastri

The Indian cricket team is under the pump after their back-to-back defeats against England. There has been a lot of criticism about India's strategies and team selections. A barrage of current and former players has raised concerns about India's poor performance and attitude towards the game. The latest one to join the list is former India selector and member of World Cup 1983 winning team, Sandeep Patil.

In a press conference before the tour, Kohli said, "People have forgotten the Champions Trophy was also played in England. I was asked what I would do when I landed there, and I said I wanted to walk around the streets with a cup of coffee. My thinking is very different."

This particular comment hasn't gone well with Patil. Patil said "We all clearly remember captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri’s joint press conference before leaving for the tour of England earlier this summer. One bold statement stood out, 'We have enough days to acclimatise in England and we are going to enjoy coffee'."

"Seeing the performance of the Indian team in the first two Tests so far, the team really seems to have taken their skipper’s statement seriously – they are truly only enjoying the coffee in English conditions," he added.

Sandeep Patil, who played with the current coach Ravi Shastri, also questioned the Indian team management's decision of playing just one practice match ahead of the crucial Test series.

"It is puzzling that when the BCCI provided the team with the opportunity to play practice games, as was requested, coach Ravi Shastri and captain Kohli instead felt that rest was the best option for the team and played just a truncated three-day practice game in the 14 days between the ODI and Test series," Patil added.

"Great Indian cricketing idols Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly all voiced their concerns, but the current Indian team never felt like taking their advice."

Sandip Patil has questioned India's preparation for the important Test series

Patel added that the Indian players have played irresponsible cricket and looked like players playing their debut series.

"We are 2-0 down in the series with three more matches to go and I do feel especially bad because all these players who have extraordinary talent got themselves selected during my tenure as chief selector," said Patil.

"It amazes me that these extremely-talented cricketers, in the two Tests so far, have been looking like they are playing in fear as if they are playing their debut match! As I said earlier, cricket is a cruel game. A game of glorious uncertainties. Yesterday’s heroes have become today’s zeroes. Seventy per cent of this England tour is already over and we are still sipping coffee."

Firstly it was Harbhajan Singh who demanded Shastri to speak up and take more responsibility. Then former England great Geoffrey Boycott slammed the Indian team saying that the Indian players are arrogant and complacent and deserved to lose. And now Sandeep Patil has criticised the attitude of the players. It is high time that the Indian players rethink their strategies and focus on their game. The Indian team should introspect about their performance and attitude in order to make a comeback in the series.