“There was no role clarity or planning” - Rajkumar Sharma slams Team India’s batters for listless display

Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma criticized Team India’s batters for putting up a hugely disappointing performance in the first ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday, December 4. Sharma opined that the Men in Blue batters seemed to have no plans in place as a result of which the innings went about aimlessly.

Team India went down to Bangladesh by one wicket at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka in the opening ODI. Sent in to bat after losing the toss, the visitors were bundled out for 186 in 41.2 overs. Bangladesh then recovered from 136/9 to chase down the total courtesy of a brilliant counter-attack from Mehidy Hasan Miraz (38*).

Reflecting on Team India’s poor batting effort against Bangladesh on Sunday, Sharma told India News:

“India’s batting was clueless. There was no role clarity or planning over how they were going to go about things. They didn’t seem to know what they wanted to achieve in the powerplay.”

The 57-year-old added that India did well to fight back with the ball, but claimed that the visitors took it too easy in the end and conceded a game they should have won. Sharma said:

“Poor batting from Bangladesh brought India back into the game. At one stage, it looked like a one-sided match. But India showed so much complacency. They had 50 runs to defend. They gave it away almost as if it was a joke, and there were two dropped catches as well.”

Miraz added an unbroken 51 runs for the last wicket with Mustafizur Rahman (10* off 11) as Bangladesh recovered to register a famous come-from-behind win.

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“Team India took a big risk by going in with Rahul as a makeshift wicketkeeper” - Rajkumar Sharma

With Rishabh Pant being released from the ODI squad, India went in with KL Rahul as a makeshift keeper, even though Ishan Kishan is also part of the traveling contingent. Sharma disagreed with the ploy to make Rahul keep wickets and stated:

“Team India took a big risk by going in with Rahul as a makeshift wicketkeeper, especially when they had regular keepers in the squad, who are good stroke-makers. It was quite surprising. He is the vice-captain, so the management wanted to fit him in the team. That’s why I feel Pant was left out. India had to pay a price for the decision.”

Rahul dropped Miraz's catch in the 43rd over of Bangladesh’s innings, when the batter was on 15. The let-off proved extremely costly as Miraz went on to guide the hosts past the winning line.