'India's statements don't match with what they do on the field': Virender Sehwag after England win 1st T20I

Virender Sehwag gave Rishabh Pant’s example to further highlight his point about India’s different stances on and off the field after the Virat Kohli-led side lose the first T20I to England by 8 wickets.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag said Team India’s pre-match statements do not match with what they do when they step on to the field. Sehwag’s comments came after India suffered an eight-wicket loss to England in the first T20I in Ahmedabad.

Former cricketer Virender Sehwag (HT Photo)

“I think they say something and then do something else. The statements that the Indian team gives do not match when they step on to the field,” Sehwag said in a video interview with Cricbuzz.

Sehwag was in all probability referring to India’s decision to rest Rohit Sharma and open with KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan a day after captain Virat Kohli clearly mentioned Rahul and Rohit as openers for starters.

There were also problems with India’s approach too. Players like KL Rahul and Virat Kohli tried to step on the accelerator way too early in their innings and ended up losing their wickets.

Sehwag gave Rishabh Pant’s example to further highlight his point about India’s different stances on and off the field.

“They said we will back Rishabh Pant but he was dropped from ODI and T20I. When he scored runs in Test cricket then they said Pant is fit so they brought him back in T20s. Even now they are saying we will allow Rishabh Pant to play freely but after two or three matches if he gets out for 21 off 23 balls then he will again be seen on the bench. So the statements don’t match with what they do on-field,” Sehwag added.

Chasing a target of 125 runs, England witnessed a brilliant start with both openers, Jos Buttler and Jason Roy, scoring regular boundaries. The duo played brilliantly and did not miss any opportunity to punish lose balls.

With the help of Buttler and Roy's knocks, England reached the 50-run mark in the sixth over. Indian bowlers struggled to restrict the batsmen and failed to get any early breakthrough. In the eighth over, Roy scored a boundary and a six to Yuzvendra Chahal but the bowler made a stunning comeback and dismissed Buttler (28) to end the 72-run partnership. Dawid Malan then took the field.

Roy was just one run short of his half-century when Washington Sundar, in the 12th over, got hold of him. After 12 overs, England's score read 92/2, with Malan and Jonny Bairstow on the field. Malan and Bairstow played cautiously and ensured England do not lose more wickets and easily took their side over the line.

Earlier, Shreyas Iyer smashed a sensational half-century to rescue India from early blows but England kept taking wickets at regular intervals to restrict the hosts to 124/7 in the allotted 20 overs. After being four down with 48 runs on board in the first ten overs, Shreyas and Hardik Pandya rescued India as the hosts crossed the 100-run mark in the 17th over.

(With agency inputs)