Team India had a terrible performance at the 2022 Asia Cup, where the team lost in the Super 4 round. In the second round, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian squad suffered consecutive losses to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and concerns were voiced over India's ongoing experimentation with the starting XI during this period. Even the captain, Rohit, admitted that the squad is still attempting to "find solutions" regarding the team composition following the defeat to Sri Lanka, which didn't sit well with a number of ex-cricketers, including Dilip Vengsarkar and Sunil Gavaskar.
Ajay Jadeja, a well-known former India star, also elaborated on the team's recent "chopping and adjustments," stressing the need for some consistency. Jadeja added that when it comes to speaking in front of an audience, the captain and the coach must both be on the same page.
“You have to continue the process. If you keep chopping and changing after every result, the confusion will be there, which is quite an old thing with Indian cricket. That can be avoided. I know there will be coordination between the captain and coach, but it's important to have that even in front of the press,” Jadeja said on Cricbuzz.
“It isn't as if we weren't the captain or we didn't do press conferences. Sometimes, you have to say certain things in press conference because they might be important. But your team knows why exactly it was said. Your internal conversations with the team should be strong, and there should be no need to justify those things in front of the press.”
Jadeja went on to say that remarks about experimenting with alternative lineups would have a negative effect on the side's young cricketers and urged that such remarks should be made and discussed inside the team.
"Wins and losses are part of the game, but there shouldn't be any confusion over team combinations. There shouldn't be statements about "trying out things" and other similar remarks. You need to understand that these are players and they have families. When they read them... such things do pop up at a certain point of time. In front of media, both captains and coach should be consistent with their statements. Inside, you can debate as much as you want," said the former India star.
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