India’s intensity and hunger to win need to be far more: Venkatesh Prasad

West Indies vs India. (Photo Source: RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

India managed to win the Test series 1-0 and followed it up with a 2-1 win in the subsequent ODI series against West Indies. However, the rub of the green has eluded Hardik Panyda’s men in the five-match T20Is thus far. After losing the first T20I by four runs, the ‘Men in Blue’ would have hoped to bounce back against Rovman Powell and Co. in Guyana in the second T20I. However, the hosts managed to reign supreme as they defeated India by two wickets on August 6 to take a 2-0 lead.

Venkatesh Prasad was irate after India lost consecutive T20Is for the first time against the West Indies since 2016 and highlighted how India have not managed to win a T20 World Cup after the triumphant campaign in the inaugural edition in 2007. The former India pacer urged the team to show more intensity and hunger to win games.

“Very very ordinary. No point in brushing it aside. After the 2007 T20 World Cup,  IPL started and we haven’t won a T20 World Cup in 7 attempts since, making only 1 finals. The intensity and hunger to win needs to be far more,” Prasad wrote on his ‘X’ handle.

Very very ordinary. No point in brushing it aside. After the 2007 T20 World Cup, IPL started and we haven’t won a T20 World Cup in 7 attempts since, making only 1 finals. The intensity and hunger to win needs to be far more .
Yesterday after Yuzi took 2 wkts in the 16th, cont https://t.co/xNOfjqZJeG

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) August 7, 2023

Venkatesh Prasad lashes out at Hardik Pandya for not using Yuzvendra Chahal’s full quota of overs

West Indies were cruising at one stage in their pursuit of 153 runs as Nicholas Pooran played a blinder of a knock (67 off 40 balls) to bring the required run rate below six. However, some nervous cricket from the home side and miserly bowling from Yuzvendra Chahal brought India back into the game. The hosts lost four wickets for three runs at one stage in 13 balls. India’s premier leg-spinner bowled the 16th over and picked up the wickets of Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder, while conceding just two runs.

With one over left for Chahal, it seemed that Hardik would use him to take the last couple of wickets. However, he went in with the pacers and the West Indies batters played them without much fuss to finish the game with seven balls and two wickets to spare. Prasad was perplexed with the decision of not bowling Chahal.

“And Yuzi got India back into the game in what was his third over and West Indies 8th down and he didn’t bowl again and No 9 and 10 for WI found the pacers easy to handle. Should be smarter at these moments then just doing textbook stuff,” Prasad wrote.

Meanwhile, the two teams will meet in the third match of the series at the same venue on August 8.

And Yuzi got India back into the game in what was his third over and West Indies 8th down and he didn’t bowl again and No 9 and 10 for WI found the pacers easy to handle. Should be smarter at these moments then just doing textbook stuff.

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) August 7, 2023