‘The anger they should have vented out, they didn’t’: Shoaib Akhtar feels India should have beaten Australia 3-0 in T20s

India vs Australia: After winning the first two games of the T20 series, India clinched the series, but in the final game, could not chase down 187, a target that Shoaib Akhtar believes was chaseable.

Having lost the ODIs, India staged a commendable fightback to claim the T20I series against Australia 2-1, but Shoaib Akhtar feels Virat Kohli and his team should have completed a 3-0 whitewash over the hosts. After winning the first two games of the T20 series, India clinched the series, but in the final game, could not chase down 187, a target that the former Pakistan pacer believes was chaseable.

The Indian cricket team celebrates a wicket. (Getty Images)

“India could have beaten Australia 3-0 but they couldn’t. Australia won the ODIs, India tool the T20Is. The anger they should have vented out, they couldn’t. It was an achievable total but India couldn’t chase it down. Again, it was a fierce battle but it’s all done and dusted now,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.

Having said that, as the focus now drifts towards the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Akhtar believes the eventual outcome of the four-Test series will determine who the better team in between India and Australia. Akhtar said he was keen to see how India respond to the challenge posed by Australia, who will be fiercely determined to prove a point having lost the last series at home.

“It’ll be wonderful to see how India and Australia perform in the Test series. The ultimate test of character we will be able to find out. With two high-profile teams facing each other, we’ll know how the better team is. At times, in ODIs and T20s, it’s not necessary that the better team wins, but come the Test series, you have to show your character and skill sets,” Akhtar added.

“It will be interesting to see whether India can come out of that shell and beat Australia in a Test series, which I’m sure they can. The second thing is that Australia will come really hard because they will make sure that it’s not a cakewalk to beat them on their soil.”

Lastly, Akhtar explained he would love to see fast bowlers pick up 20 wickets in a match, backing India to have what it takes to do so. “I wasn’t to watch some fierce display of fast bowling. I want to see wickets going down in Test matches. I’m not concerned about long spell with good length bowling,” he said.

“It’s fine for those who want to keep bowling one length but the attacking fast bowlers will always come and take wickets. People say India’s bowlers don’t have the wicket-taking ability but Australia do. It is wrong because India too can take 20 wickets.”