The India vs England Test series has so far been a roller coaster ride, with every stop carrying a large amount of drama, intense cricketing action, and so much thrill. Not only the current players, but also several legends of the game have not been able to keep them out of the excessive excitement.
Amid receiving immense criticism for a weak show at Lord’s, some players and critics have also come forward to acknowledge the efforts of the Indian players, who did play a fair hand at Leeds, Birmingham, and then at Lord’s, until the final innings collapse.
Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif is among those who have backed the Indian side and the current playing 11, showing his full faith in players who have not fired in the series until now.
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Mohammed Kaif asks India not to panic
While every former cricketer in their interviews or podcasts is urging for one or the other change in the India lineup, Mohammad Kaif has come forward with a request that is very different from others.
The 44-year-old former Indian player feels that India often gets panicked after a loss and makes hasty decisions, and often changes the playing 11. He has urged the Indian management to keep the same playing 11 from the Lord’s Test for the upcoming fixture at Manchester.
“One thing I’ve noticed—when India loses, they panic. When they win, they stick with the same XI. After losing the first test, they made 2-3 changes. But after winning in Birmingham, only Bumrah came in—no other changes. That’s been the pattern.” Kaif identified.
“Even after losing the third Test, I believe they should back the same team going into Manchester,” added Mohammad Kaif.
Kaif backs Karun Nair
India’s comeback story has been a major flop, as Karun Nair, the triple centurion in international cricket for India, made a comeback to the Indian Test side after a long exile of 8 years.
Karun Nair has been handed repeated opportunities, and he has been tried at several positions as well; however, the batter has struggled to score runs, with the highest score of 40 in 6 innings.
This has caught the attention of several former Indian cricketers who have slammed his weak performance and urged for a change, citing India’s chances in the series might be doomed if he continues to be baffled at no. 3.
However, Mohammad Kaif again has a different version of looking at things. For him, keeping Karun Nair and handing him more chances is the test for Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill as leaders. He feels Karun Nair deserves another chance in the Indian XI.
“Karun Nair has been getting starts – 30s and 40s – but not converting. Still, he deserves another opportunity. This is a test for both Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir. After a close loss, will they panic and make changes? Or will they trust the players?” said Mohammad Kaif.
Mohammad Kaif praises India’s efforts in the England series
Despite trailing in the series and a tragic defeat at Lord’s, Mohammad Kaif has been positive about India’s performance in the ongoing series against England. Kaif has felt that the Shubman Gill-led side has been phenomenal in most areas in the series.
He blames bad luck for the current scoreline in the series; otherwise, the scenario would have been totally different, leading to a 3-0.
“India dominated for 12–13 out of the last 15 days. They played solid cricket — both with the bat and the ball. When this team landed in England, most people predicted a 0-4 or 1-4 defeat, but they’ve surprised everyone,” claimed Mohammad Kaif.
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