IND vs BAN: “Passion Of Playing For The Country Is Missing” – Madan Lal Slams Team India

Former India National Cricket Team all-rounder Madan Lal, who was part of the 1983 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup-winning squad, has slammed Team India after their ODI series defeat to Bangladesh, saying that the passion of playing for the country is missing in the players.

India National Cricket Team, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, lost the first ODI against Bangladesh by 1 wicket and the second ODI by 5 runs in Mirpur to concede the series 0-2. The dead rubber third and final ODI will be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday, December 10.

Meanwhile, Madan Lal has said that Team India are not going in the right direction and they are lacking intensity and passion.

“Definitely the Indian team is not going in the right direction. I have not seen the intensity in the team off late. I have not seen ‘Josh’ in them in the last couple of years,” Lal told PTI in an interview.

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“They are not looking like an Indian team at all. That passion of playing for the country is missing. Either their bodies are too tired or they are just going through the motions. And this is a serious concern.” 

Speaking after the second ODI, Rohit Sharma highlighted the fitness issues faced by the Indian players and said that they “can’t have guys coming in to play for the country half-fit.”

Referring to Rohit’s observation, Madan Lal said that the players, if needed, should take rest only during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and playing for India should be the priority. He elaborated:

“It is a very sad thing. If the captain is saying this then something is wrong somewhere. Who is responsible for this? Are trainers responsible for this? Why are unfit players going? You are playing international cricket and the result is in front of you. If they want to take rest they can take rest during IPL matches. Your country comes first. If you are not going to win ICC trophies, your nation’s cricket is going to go down.”

If your top order does not perform you are not going to win – Madan Lal

Lal bashed India’s top-order batters for their below-par performances in recent times and said:

“If you see the record, how many centuries they (seniors) have scored in the last three years? And how many in the last one year? With age factor, your hand-eye coordination slows down.

“But they are experienced players and they should have performed. If your top order does not perform you are not going to win.” 

The 71-year-old also lashed out at the Indian bowlers for letting Bangladesh go from 69/6 to 271/7 in the second ODI. He said:

“Your bowling unit has become very weak suddenly. It looks like they are not going to get any wickets. After 69 for 6, Bangladesh managed to score 271. So what is all this going on?” 

Meanwhile, Madan Lal has opined that India should have specialist players in the team for different formats. He said:

“Every country is playing like that. Must have specialized cricketers for different formats. Why not have different players for different formats? All countries are doing it and India should also do the same.”

Also Read: IND vs BAN: Injured Mohammed Shami Unlikely To Participate In Two-match Test Series vs Bangladesh – Reports

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