IND vs WI: 'No Rohit Sharma, No Virat Kohli'- Abhinav Mukund's Eye Opening Verdict On India's Loss In 1st T20I

Former India opener Abhinav Mukund has said that the defeat to West Indies in the first T20I is not a matter of concern. Team India lost the series opener in Trinidad by four wickets while chasing a modest total of 150 runs.

The likes of Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Sanju Samson failed to get going as India finished their innings on 145 for 9. The Men in Blue never really looked in control during the chase as West Indies maintained a tight grip.

After Kishan (6) and Gill (3) departed cheaply, debutant Tilak Varma revived the hopes for a while with a 39-run knock. But once he departed, India lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually fell short by four runs. The margin of the loss might suggest that it was a close game but West Indies remained on the front foot right from ball one of the second innings.

The dismal performance has invited criticism from several quarters for Team India. However, Abhinav Mukund has said that it should not be a concern as India were without several senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah.

“I don’t think you should read too much into this defeat because I felt India are playing a young team. They are playing a T20 after a long time with Hardik Pandya at the helm, a lot of new faces, and a new batting order as such.

“No senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and no Bumrah and Shami with the ball. I don’t see too much of a concern. I feel India approached the game well. They made a few mistakes in the end but overall the approach, if it comes out right, I think India will turn out on the winning side,” Abhinav Mukund told JioCinema.

Abhinav Mukund on India’s plans for the second T20I:

As India looks to bounce back in the second T20I, Abhinav Mukund has revealed what he expects from the batsmen. The former cricketer stated that the likes of Kishan, Varma, and Suryakumar are likely to be more aggressive with the bat.

“India’s batting, according to me, was based on the conditions in Trinidad. I felt that the pitch was slow and it wasn’t offering too much for free stroke-making. For the second T20I, we are expecting another slowish surface.

“So you will expect someone like an Ishan Kishan to go big, someone like a Tilak Varma, who started really well, and maybe even Suryakumar Yadav to play a few more big shots,” said Abhinav Mukund.

The second match of the five-T20I series is scheduled to be played on August 6 in Guyana.