MS Dhoni is now won just 2 overseas Tests as skipper since 2011 and faces the ignominy of another series loss. So what led to Team India’s downfall at Southampton?
MS Dhoni and his ‘merry’ men were handed a crushing defeat in the 3rd Test match at Southampton as England’s bowlers ruled the roost with the series now locked at 1-1.
India, who had won the Lord’s Test due to the heroics of some Ishant Sharma, were brought down to earth at the Rose Bowl by the likes of James Anderson and Moeen Ali. MS Dhoni is now won just 2 overseas Tests as skipper since 2011 and faces the ignominy of another series loss.
So what led to Team India’s downfall at Southampton? Why were they so listless in their performance? Here are the 5 reasons that we think, handed India a crushing 266-run defeat:
1 Over confidence has done them in:
Basically, Team India had done no homework what so ever prior coming into this game. The team was over confident and it showed on the field with the kind of shots played by the batsmen as well as the skipper, who had a torrid spell on the field. His fielding positions were pathetic and bowling changes did him no world of good.
2 Why was Shikhar Dhawan PICKED?
Dhoni being Dhoni, still persisted with the out-of-form Shikhar Dhawan in the 3rd Test as the latter failed to win conjure up some runs. Dhawan did manage to score some runs in the 2nd innings but in short, the Delhi southpaw looks inept and is creating too many mistakes. Why wasn’t Gautam Gambhir given a chance? If Dhoni wanted to select Shikhar Dhawan, then why pick Rohit Sharma?
3 MS Dhoni – rubbish Test Captain
Team India might have created history at the Lord’s Cricket Ground but dwelling in the past laurels don’t win any medals! That’s the case of MS Dhoni who saw his side being outplayed and outbowled by a formidable English side in the 3rd Test. The memories of that painful 2011 series were quite evident as India put up a lethargic performance. In a nutshell, MS Dhoni is a ‘rubbish skipper’ as far as Tests are concerned and should quit.
4 Virat Kohli’s mind is somewhere else
‘Mahi’ must remind vice-captain Virat Kohli that the latter needs to perform on the field more rather than concentrate on the ‘outside affairs’. Virat is in the news for the wrong reasons (Anushka Sharma is in town) and most probably that is why our run-machine has slowed down.
5 – Bowlers are tired and injured
It won’t be a surprise if Dhoni cites the ‘inexperience’ of not playing 5 Tests, the real reason for India’s debacle in England. The bowlers are tired, injured and most importantly – need to buck up! Ishant Sharma is out, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami looked languid and Pankaj Singh went wicketless. If Dhoni cannot motivate the bowlers, then there’s simply something wrong within the core of the side.
If MS Dhoni and India put up another such performance at Old Trafford, it’s time the former looked in the mirror and said, ‘I give up’.
