'It’s cop-out': Aakash Chopra exposes Rohit Sharma & India's aggressive approach, mentions Bazball

Reputed commentator Aakash Chopra analyzed the India National Cricket Team's defeat to the New Zealand National Cricket Team in the three-match Test series. He questioned the team's attacking approach, calling it a 'cop-out'.

In what was a horrible outing for the India National Cricket Team, they faced a disappointing 3-0 whitewash against the New Zealand National Cricket Team in the three-match Test series at home. Not only were they at the receiving end of whitewash for the first time, but they also lost a series at home after 12 years.

Indian batting was one of the major reasons behind the team's debacle in the three-match series. Batters struggled to get going against the spinners as they tried to be aggressive. But this didn't pay off as New Zealand bowlers made full use of the slopiness shown by the host's batters and picked wickets in a flash.

After losing the first two games in Bengaluru and Pune, it was expected that India would come up with a better performance. But it turned out to be an even more horrible outing with the bat in Mumbai as they lost the game by 25 runs and also lost crucial World Test Championship points.

We criticized Bazball as well because that was also a cop-out - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra, while talking about the approach of Indian batters, said that the hosts didn't know another way to play the spinners. While taking a dig at Rohit Sharma, he mentioned that it didn't look like players had confidence in their defence. He believes that Team India is also adopting Bazball, which seems to be a cop-out too. Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, he explained:

"The my way or the highway, the attacking approach, is that actually a cop-out? A cop-out is that if you are unable to do something, you do something else. Nine out of 10 times, if a player says that it is his way of playing, that he comes and hits, you should assume that he doesn't have confidence in his defence and doesn't know any other way to play.

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"He has just one way that he would hit sixes and you have to accept what he says. He is saying that he wants to play like that but it's because he doesn't have the confidence to play any other way. This is a question. I feel the Indian team's new formula or template is becoming a bit of a cop-out. We criticized Bazball as well because that was also a cop-out."

It's okay, you are scoring 450 runs in 100 overs - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra also questioned India's approach in the Mumbai Test, saying that two and a half days were still left and they could have batted easily. He pointed out how the team failed both against spinners as well as pacers throughout the entire series. He added:

"The Indian team also has unfortunately started moving in that direction, that we play like this only, that they only hit. Why? Two-and-a-half days were still left. Show it if you know any other way to score runs. On a good pitch, it's okay, you are scoring 450 runs in 100 overs, four-and-a-half runs per over, but what happens as soon as the pitch turns a little or seams a little?"

"Our first examination in this series was against seam. We failed and got all out for 46. When the examination was against spin, we failed there as well. We failed in Pune and then Mumbai, not once but four times. Right now, what we are calling our method, that's the only way we can play."

We don't have any other way to play - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra concluded by saying that the Indian Team currently doesn't have any other way of playing other than attacking cricket. But he stressed the fact that this is not the way to survive in the longest format of the game. He added:

"We don't have any other way to play. It's not possible to survive every time in Test cricket by hitting. So yes, to answer that question, my way or the highway, the attacking cricket we are playing, this is a cop-out. It is not a way of life. How can it be a way if it is failing?" Aakash Chopra concluded.