'Rohit, Rahul play in an old-fashioned way' - Hussain on where India lose the plot in ICC knockouts

Team India is set to take on England in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 edition on Thursday (November 10) at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. After registering four wins in the Super 12 round, India topped Group 2 and entered the semi-finals thoughthey hadmissed out on the semis berth in the last edition in 2021. Before their face-off versus Jos Butler-led Three Lions, former English captain Nasser Hussain talked about India's achilles heel in ICC knockouts.

Over the years, India have reached the knockouts in all ICC events -- barring 2021 T20 WC -- since 2014 but have failed to win the title in the last nine years. India's last mega title came in the 2013 Champions Trophy. In this regard, Hussain pointed out in his column for Daily Mail, "You have to say they have underperformed in world tournaments. At times they have played some timid cricket with the bat for the players they have and when working for Sky last summer their former coach Ravi Shastri said that is something they have to change."

Hussain further wrote, "Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul do play in a slightly old-fashioned way in the first few overs but that has suited India in this tournament because the ball has moved around at the start. India need to be more dynamic if they are going to win World Cups and that is where Suryakumar Yadav — or SKY as he is known — has been so important."

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It is to be noted that India have not started well in any of their Super 12 games in the ongoing T20 WC. Openers Rohit and KL Rahul have started off on a slow note and the former has often got out trying to up the ante. The conditions have also favoured the bowlers but Indian openers will like to make a stronger start in the semi-final versus England.

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One of India's best performers in the T20 WC has been Suryakumar Yadav, with 225 runs in five games at a strike rate of over 190 (193.97). Speaking on him and Virat Kohli (the leading run-getter with 245 runs with three fifties), Hussain said, "India's dynamism will come at three and four where Virat Kohli is still the master and now has a considerable apprentice in SKY. I don't think I have ever seen a better white-ball innings than the one Kohli played against Pakistan in the group stage at Melbourne. The way he paced his innings as well as some of the shots he played at the end — like hitting Haris Rauf straight back over his head for six — were remarkable. Any professional cricketer watching that on TV would have sat up and just said ‘wow!"

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