IND vs ENG: "They Will Have To Change Their Mindset" - RP Singh Pinpoints India's Weakness After 100-run Loss To England In 2nd ODI

Following the Men in Blue’s 100-run loss to England in the second ODI on Thursday, former cricketer RP Singh said that India’s top-order hitters should try to bat for longer periods. He recommended that in this style, players not constantly try to pursue bowlers.

He said that if Rohit Sharma and company are to win the series finale, the top-order big guns would need to play a significant role.

Indian Top-Order Batters Have To Bat Till The End: RP Singh

Speaking on Cricbuzz, RP Singh noted that Indian hitters may choose to take their time before playing their strokes in ODI cricket.

He stated:

“The Indian batters will have to change their mindset while playing ODIs. Relying on big shots and trying to attack all the time may prove to be costly in this format.

They will have to bat till the end, as it isn’t easy for tailenders to bat in these English conditions. The onus will be on the top-order batters to guide India to victory in the third match.”

There Is A Lack Of Consistency In The Batting: Pragyan Ojha

In the same video, former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha emphasised how the ODI performances of the Indian hitters have been uneven. He said that due to the same, the side had not been able to have much success in SENA nations in recent years.

He added:

“There will be difficulties when the openers and the other top-order batters don’t perform well. The same thing happened with England in the first game. The target in this game wasn’t a very big one, but the Indian batting lineup wasn’t able to stand up to the challenge.

“This is why India haven’t won many ODI series in SENA countries in recent times as there is a lack of consistency in the batting.”

In the second ODI of their series against England, the visitors were humiliated by a score of 100 runs. They were bowled out for a pitiful total of 146 after failing to chase down a poor total of 246 in the match. Only 16 runs were scored by Kohli against England in the second ODI.

Virat Kohli Will Definitely Be Disappointed With His Performance: RP Singh

According to RP Singh, the player will need to adjust his strategy a bit in order to find his form.

The veteran cricketer highlighted how Kohli failed to catch an away delivery and was once again out. He said that England had put up a strategy for the experienced campaigner and that he had fallen into the trap.

He stated:

“Virat Kohli will definitely be disappointed with his performance. The way he hit those boundaries, it seemed like he might find his rhythm back today. While he has got all the abilities, his habit of poking at outside off deliveries has been the cause of his undoing on several occasions.

“England had made a plan for Kohli and were able to execute it well. It’s becoming tougher and tougher for Kohli now. There aren’t any problems with his approach or body language, but he must work on his gameplan.”

Virat Kohli Never Been More Desperate To Score Runs: Pragyan Ojha

Ojha continued by saying that Kohli always tries to get his bat on the ball because he is anxious to score runs. He said:

“Rahul Dravid had once told me that batters from the subcontinent like to get bat on ball to get set. Whereas, overseas players get set by leaving deliveries. Kohli could be chasing the outside off deliveries because of the same reason.

“He’s never been more desperate to score runs. There has been a lot of talk around his lack of form and he himself would also be thinking about it a lot.”

Due to a groyne issue, Kohli was forced to sit out the first ODI of the series. Aiming to make up for his inability to contribute with the bat in the second game, he will be looking to score many runs in the crucial series finale on Sunday (July 17) in Manchester.

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