New Delhi: Former Indian batsmen Ambati Rayudu has admitted he was “not really surprised” by India’s shock 0-2 T20I victory in Ireland, saying the reigning world champions were unprepared for the completely different conditions after a successful Indian Premier League season.India, led by Shreyas Iyer, suffered a historic whitewash after losing the second T20I by one run in Belfast, with their batsmen struggling to adjust to the slow pace, two overs.“No, I’m not really surprised because I don’t think they were well prepared for what they went through,” Rayudu told PTI. “It’s always very difficult to go from flat pitches to sponge wickets which also have side pitches.”The former India international saw the transition from the easy batting IPLs to the Test environment in Ireland revealed technical difficulties within the batting division.“A lot of these guys are used to having a very fast game, a mid-range game and controlling the drop is a big problem,” the 40-year-old said.
Rayudu realizes Tilak’s plight, encourages patience with Sooryavanshi
Rayudu also highlighted the role that India’s vice-captain Tilak Varma needs to improve despite his 55-wicket haul in the second T20I.“More than he thought, his batting game and playing at low pitches has been a bit of a struggle for a while,” Rayudu said. “Whenever he faces wickets where the ball doesn’t hit the bat, that’s when we see him struggling a bit to pick up the tempo.”According to Rayudu, Tilak’s reluctance to use his feet against spin prevents him from scoring on slower tracks.“Against the spinners, they tend to get more mid-on boundaries… he doesn’t use his feet much. He doesn’t sweep the ball and there are a lot of shots he doesn’t normally play. If he changes that part of his game, raising the tempo will be second nature, which is automatic,” he explained.The former Chennai Super Kings batsman also drew attention to the growing calls for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to start for India after he was left out of both matches against Ireland.“It’s always better to go with openers who have done well (and) won the World Cup. Giving them the first tour, more opportunities is very important,” Rayudu said.“He is facing what the Indian team dressing room is, what can be expected, what should be his responsibility. So, there are many things that he has been learning on this journey, which will ultimately help him. But I would not really rush to introduce him in two countries because we have not won a few games,” he added.Despite India’s disappointing result, Rayudu believes that the five-match T20I series in England will bring some challenges.“I can’t read too much because going to England, the wickets are a lot better than what they have experienced here,” he said, expressing confidence that the conditions would suit India’s batting style.
