Former India Test players slam Indian performances in England Tests

As India go into the fourth Test match with a 0-3 scoreline against them, the number of former cricketers lambasting the performance in England has only increased. Kapil Dev had blasted the Indian captain and the other seniors in the team for not helping out the younger team-members, who had looked confused at various stages in the game.

Former captain Sourav Ganguly, who is also commentating in England said that it was hard to accept that the world number one side had lost three games in a row and that the side will need to ensure that it was a flash in the pan and get back to their winning ways.
Ganguly said that while it was okay to lose games, especially against an opposition which has looked so strong, it was worrying to go down three games in a row. He asked whether it was a one-off or thebeginning of the end of the side one had seen over the last decade and a half.
Anil Kumble, who had earlier captained the side before retiring in 2008 said that the Indians needed to get in four or five younger players and allow them to succeed in the battle of Test match cricket, in place of the stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
He named the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir as a few of those who could take on the baton from the senior generation of cricketers and get going. Interestingly, the likes of S Badrinath and Cheteshwar Pujara have not been given enough opportunities so far, despite their good technique.
Kumble said that the younger players needed to be allowed a lot of time at the top. He added that while India may not come back to the top of the charts for some time, the side needed to ensure that they remained in the top three and then claw back with these younger generation players. Kumble also said that there was no doubt that the side was simply outplayed by a far superior English side in the series.
Former India Test opener Arun Lal said the Indian team had to stop relying on the 35-plus cricketers and needed the younger generation to take over the mantle.
India take on England in the fourth and the final Test match at the Oval.