England vs India 2018: Frequent Changes Has Put Players Under Pressure - Reports

It is reported that frequent change and chop has put Team India players under pressure. Indian skipper Virat Kohli has led in 39 Test matches and he has played a different looking XI in the 38 matches.

Thus, there is always an inconsistency in the final XI of the side. Furthermore, it puts extra pressure on the players who are not sure about their respective place in the side.

Too much of chopping and changing.

“It would have been better if they had said at the start of the tour, ‘guys, we will go with the same team for the first three Tests. Do your best.’ That gives a different kind of confidence. Kohli is a good man and wants the best for the team and doesn’t mean to create it but the changes make you doubt yourself. It’s our mistake to feel like that probably but we are humans,” says a player as quoted by Indian Express.

In fact, so many changes put a mountain of pressure on the players. Any players bring out his best when he knows his place in the side is not at stake and thus plays his best cricket, without thinking about the next match. Whenever the place of any player will come under scrutiny, it could be put a question mark over his ability.

Therefore, it is pivotal for the think thank to give a longer rope to the players and ask them to play without any pressure. A trait of which former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was a master of. Ganguly always gave assurance to his players and backed them to the hilt. In fact, he fought with the selectors and had a clear vision whom he wanted and whom he didn’t in his team. However, it hasn’t been the case under the leadership of Virat Kohli.

It leads to doubts and insecurities in the player’s mind.

Therefore, it raises doubts within a player’s mind.  “You start to second guess. Kyun Aisey Kar Rahe Hain? (Why they are dropping me) You then start feeling you are on your own here,” says a player.

Kohli and Indian team management has taken some peculiar decision with their selection policy and in fact, the pivotal players have been the prey. Ajinkya Rahane was dropped from the first two matches on the South African whereas Bhunveshwar Kumar was shown the exit doors despite been India’s best bowler.

It was a similar story on England tour when India decided to drop Chesteshwar Pujara for the first Test match, which left everyone flabbergasted.

Meanwhile, a team support member quashed all this and backed Virat Kohli’s and team management methods.

“Honestly, I haven’t seen a more open and communicative leadership group than these two-three people. They always say what they feel and you must realize sometimes because of their own insecurities, players can say stuff.” Of course, that’s a given. There is no ideal way to lead, you can’t please everyone but it’s time that the leadership accepts that the frequent chops do trigger doubts”.

India has been poor with their reading of the pitch as well. They played two spinners in the Lord’s Test which was a paradise for the fast bowlers. However, they played only one spinner in the Southampton pitch which was a spinner’s delight.