Most disappointed with this England team: Bishan Singh Bedi

Former Indian cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi absolutely lashed at the poor attitude of the England team. The touring English side is currently 2-0 down in the Test series with 2 matches to play. In a recent interview, he expressed his disappointment at the casual attitude of the English team. He also had his opinions shared about England taking a break off to Dubai after 3 Tests.

In a conversation with Mid Day, Bedi remarked that the body language of the English players has been poor. Despite having won the toss in two Tests so far, they could not dominate the proceedings. “I am most disappointed at this (England) team. Their body language has been atrocious apart from the fact that they have been dropping catches and not cashing on the toss which they won in two of the three Tests”,

Bedi is one of the most successful spinners to have ever played for India. With his left-arm spin, he picked up 266 wickets in 67 Tests for the country. He feels that the current Indian team has the capability to beat this England side in any part of the world. He commended skipper Virat Kohli’s work ethic.

“Nothing is going right for this England team and no sport is worth watching if there is no contest. This Indian team can beat England anywhere. Virat Kohli is in the form of his life. He is at the peak of his form and has worked hard for his success,” said the former Indian cricketer.

Trying to cite the reason for the poor performance so far by England, Bedi said that it is the lack of resistance at the crease. He recalled how the likes of Boycott and Barrington batted with patience in tricky conditions. The only English batsman to have impressed him so far is Haseeb Hameed.

“What is missing (in them) is the doggedness of the past. They lack players like Ken Barrington and Geoff Boycott who could drop anchor. On these kinds of wickets, you need tight defence to stay. You also need loads of concentration and that is not happening. There is a temptation to go for your shots with a nice, meaty bat. But you can’t go for your shots all the time, this is Test cricket. However, I like the attitude of that 19-year-old kid Haseeb Hameed,” remarked Bishan Singh Bedi.

In a very fiery comment thereafter, Bedi said that the team does not need a break when they are 2-0 down. Instead, they should be hitting the practice sessions. England team had a trip to Dubai after the Mohali Test. This is what the Indian legend was referring to.

“Your true character emerges when the chips are down. You don’t need a break, you need to get into the cricketing groove. If you are jaded then, (at) what price (comes) professionalism? Surely, England would not have been seen with such poor body language against Australia. They would have been torn to shreds by their media,” he conceded.

Lastly, he cited the example of how Australia came back in the final Test against South Africa despite being 2-0 down. “Look at how Australia are coming back. They won the third Test against South Africa, but it cannot be called a consolation win because they went after South Africa. That is called spirit,” concluded the former Indian spinner.