Rayudu Unsurprised by India's 0-2 T20I Series Defeat to Ireland
Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu has expressed no surprise at India's 0-2 T20I series loss to Ireland, attributing the defeat to inadequate preparation for the conditions. Speaking exclusively to PTI, Rayudu, who played 55 ODIs and six T20Is for India, stated that the transition from flat pitches in the IPL to slower, spongy wickets in Ireland posed a significant challenge for the reigning T20 world champions.
India lost the second T20I in Belfast by a narrow margin of one run on Sunday, following a defeat in the first match. Rayudu emphasized that the team, led by Shreyas Iyer, was not well-prepared for the lateral movement and slower surfaces encountered in Ireland.
Tilak Varma's Footwork and Tempo Issues Under Scrutiny
Rayudu specifically addressed the struggles of finisher Tilak Varma, who scored a valiant 55 off 46 balls in the second T20I but failed to provide the necessary momentum. According to Rayudu, Tilak's game against slow bowling on slow surfaces has been a persistent issue.
"More than his mental approach, his game against slow bowling on slow surfaces has been kind of a struggle for a while," Rayudu said. "Whenever he encounters wickets on which the ball does not really come on to the bat, that is where we have seen him struggle a little bit to up the tempo. I really think he needs to work on that side of the game."
Rayudu noted that Tilak prefers to access square boundaries against spinners, which requires the ball to come onto the bat well. He added that the 23-year-old does not use his feet enough and lacks conventional shots like sweeping on the pitch of the ball. "If he improves that side of his game, raising the tempo will be secondary, a by-product of that," Rayudu explained.
Advice Against Rushing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Rayudu also weighed in on the conversation surrounding 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who impressed in the IPL with a strike rate exceeding 230. Despite the hype, Rayudu advised against rushing the youngster into the national side.
"It's always good to go with your seasoned openers who have done really well (and) have won the World Cup. Giving them the first go, ample opportunities is very, very important," Rayudu said. He emphasized that Sooryavanshi would learn valuable lessons from the tour experience, including understanding his role in the dressing room. "But I wouldn't really rush to get him in a bilateral just because we didn't win a couple of games," he added.
England Series Offers Different Challenge
Looking ahead to the five-match T20I series against England starting on July 1, Rayudu expressed confidence that the pitches in England would be more favorable for the Indian batsmen. "(With) all due respect, they don't get enough wickets even in India to practice on which are of a similar quality. (But) I wouldn't really read much into it because going into England, those wickets are far, far better than what they have encountered here," he said.
The Indian team will now move to England for the T20I series, with the first match scheduled for Wednesday. Rayudu believes the conditions in England will allow the players to adapt more easily compared to the slow tracks in Ireland.
