Here is one and only reason Why India lost against England?

Why India lost against England?: For Indians, cricket is not a game. It is like a religion. The game defines their blood pressure and hence livability. Given that so much is at stake, a slight miscalculation sends tremors down the nation. Every small fault is analysed and thought upon. Of course, a humiliating defeat would mean that heads would start rolling. However, a deeper analysis into the main reason may help. Here we will discuss about what are the reasons and why India lost against England?

Injuries harming fighting spirit

No one minds losing. What people mind is the way in which we lose. If you are representing 1.4 billion people, fighting spirit is a prerequisite for respect. That is exactly what was missing in India’s semi-final clash against their former colonisers at the Adelaide Oval.

Frankly, the Indian team looked too tired to put up a fight. Yes, IPL has a lot to do with it. It is an age-old apprehension that IPL money makes playing for the nation a second priority. Players start to pick and choose series to play for and remain fresh for the mega event. Those who end up becoming too important for national teams often get injured.

Injuries of key players like Bumrah, Rohit, Rahul and Shami is directly attributable to the rest they do not get due to playing in the league. Bumrah was out of the world cup, while the other 3 were not at their best. Rohit and Rahul played as if they were worried about harming their interests. Anyone of the openers should have gone after the bowling from the get go, but they choose to remain passive during the power plays. It gave an upper hand to the opposition.

Why India lost against England? – Technical inefficiencies due to IPL

Another reason they did not go full throttle after opposition bowling is that they are too accustomed to playing in IPL. The kind of cut shots Rahul got dismissed fetched him big runs in the IPL. Situation has changed in Australia. Grounds are bigger, wickets have bounce and wicket keepers stand at the edge of 30 yards. Ball is not going to fly over the third man. Rahul tried to bring some changes but he had very little time.

IPL impacted other players’ batting as well. Check out how Surya Kumar Yadav got dismissed against England and Pakistan. Even Rohit tried to hoick a spinner against England. On smaller Indian grounds, these shots fetched sixes. They play them in the belief that even if it is a mishit, the ball will carry through. It simply does not happen on the 90-metre-long boundaries in Australia. Not having match practice in Australia hurt them a lot.

Players are not allowed to participate in foreign leagues

This is where IPL deserves one more blame. To promote its T20 league, the BCCI does not allow Indian players to play in foreign leagues. Australia has its own Big Bash League. Players from all over the world participate in it. All those who play in the BBL benefited immensely from their experience. Muscle memory of cricketers playing on big ground is in tune with the boundary size. They also have a fair bit of idea about the pace and bounce of the wickets.

This was clearly reflected in the way Butler and Hales thrashed Indian bowlers. It seemed as if they knew exactly which ball Indian bowlers were about to bowl. They just lined up our bowlers and the bowling line up were like a helpless victim. Even a part timer like Liam Livingston bowled better than Indian bowlers. The reason? His board doesn’t stop him from playing in foreign leagues.

Every setback comes with an opportunity. India’s loss should be a moment to rethink the role of IPL. It is not necessary that every Indian player plays in the league. BCCI needs to change and allow players autonomy to diversify their portfolios. These all are the reason Why India lost against England?