Boycott blasts India’s ‘brainless’ batting

London, August 14

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott has termed Indian batting “naive, irresponsible and bordering on stupidity”. “So far, the Indian players have let themselves and their supporters down. The batting has been so naive and irresponsible, it has bordered on stupidity. Wafting drives at tempting outswingers is thoughtless,” Boycott wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph. “Trying to work straight outswingers through midwicket and then being surprised when you get bowled or nick it to the slips is brainless. Playing the ball on the up in front of your pad is a no-no,” wrote Boycott.

‘No homework’ 

As has been the common refrain, Boycott also opined that Indian batsmen have not done their homework. “These are elementary things you do not do against any decent swing bowler in English conditions. To try to do it to James Anderson, who is one of the great craftsmen in those conditions, tells me the Indian batsmen have not done their homework. They have not sat down, talked or practised in the nets and got their heads around how they are going to bat differently in England,” Boycott wrote.  

Boycott, who has 8000-plus runs in Test cricket, stopped just short of calling the Indians flat track bullies. “These guys are used to batting on flat, dry, non-bouncing pitches in India and plundering easy runs. The new ball does not do much and the shine does not last long. Batsmen are king and can play lots of shots straight away,” he said.

“India have come to England complacently and arrogantly thinking they can bat the same way and everything will be OK. Any time you do not plan and work at your cricket, the game will kick you up the backside, and India deserve the thrashing they are getting,” he wrote.

Test cricket a mismatch

He also aired his concerns over teams failing to fight away from home. “Test cricket is becoming a ridiculous mismatch with most teams winning at home and failing miserably abroad. India, the No 1 team in the world, have been awful in two Tests,” he opined.  “Great teams and great players should not buckle as easily as India did at Lord’s just because the ball swings and seams. The whole point of playing cricket in different countries on different pitches and in different climatic conditions is to test your technique, character and ability to adapt,” he wrote. — PTI