“Wake-up call for Team India” – Saba Karim as Ravichandran Ashwin and Shreyas Iyer saves India against Bangladesh

Former India selector Sab Karim said that Team India need to learn a lesson after a hard-fought victory against Bangladesh in the Dhaka Test. He wants the team to gear up for a tougher challenge against the Aussies to win the World Test Championship (WTC) title.

Speaking on India News, Karim said:

“It’s a wake-up call for Team India. It’s crucial to address the issues in this Test match. We’ll play Test matches against Australia. We are only talking about qualifying for the World Test Championship, but we also need to win the WTC. Don’t repeat the mistakes.”

The statement came after Ravichandran Ashwin (unbeaten 42) and Shreyas Iyer (29*) saved India from 74/7. The duo put on a 71-run stand for the eighth wicket to help the visitors chase a mere target of 145. A 2-0 series win helped India retain second place in the WTC table. They are only behind Australia.

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“We are tentative in our defense” – Saba Karim addresses Team India’s weaknesses

Karim added that the India batters faced a stiff challenge against Bangladesh spinners throughout the Test series. He believes the top order must work on their defense after falling prey to Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam. While Hasan bagged 11 wickets in two Tests, Islam scalped eight wickets in the series.

On this, he said:

“Team India batters are unable to pick the spinners' length. We are tentative in our defense. The batters need to work on their batting against spinners.”

Former Indian cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi also echoed similar sentiments. He reckons that if India's batters improve their game, they could pose a stiff challenge to Australia at home.

“There is room for improvement. How you played Mehidy Hasan, losing seven wickets in no time. Australia won’t give you a chance if you are complacent. Leave no stones unturned. We can challenge them and win the crucial series at home.”

Rohit Sharma and Co. will play a four-match Test series against Australia in February and March at home.