Reports: Team India players unhappy with Virat Kohli's constant chopping and changing

Virat Kohli, as a captain, has always been criticised by many for constantly changing the team in Test matches. It took 38 matches for India under his captaincy to play with the same team in back-to-back Tests. While there were injury concerns every now and then, a few baffling decisions were also taken by Kohli and the coach Ravi Shastri. However, it is being emerged that the team is also not happy with the constant chopping and changing.

According to the reports in the Indian Express, a team member who toured England was of the opinion that the changes in the team made the players feel insecure about their own position. He also went on to say that they should’ve given the team a confidence by saying that they will be playing the same team for the first three Tests. But that was not the case.

“It would have been better if they had said at the start of the tour, ‘guys, we will go with the same team for the first three Tests. Do your best.’ That gives a different kind of confidence. Kohli is a good man and wants the best for the team and doesn’t mean to create it but the changes make you doubt yourself. It’s our mistake to feel like that probably but we are humans,” the team member said.

Proper planning would’ve helped us win

Apart from the team member, another player was critical of Kohli changing the team frequently. Few of his decisions were always questionable and leaving out Ajinkya Rahane was a big call on South Africa tour. Also, Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from the series opener in England. “You start to second guess. Kyun aisey kar rahe hain? You then start feeling you are on your own here,” he said.

Moreover, the player also felt that England’s lower-order turned the game in all the games. He also accused the Indian bowlers of relaxing after picking the top-order wickets which eventually hurt the team.

“Before the start of the series, it was clear to me that England’s lower-middle order is its strength. You might get their top out but they will fight later. In nearly every game, we let the lower-middle order to score. I got the feeling that when we took the first four wickets cheaply, there was a feeling as if the job was over. We had crushed them. Bit more discipline and proper planning and focus would have been better,” the other player added.

*Disclaimer: This is a post based on reports from other media sources and CricTracker doesn’t claim the responsibility that all the facts stated are authentically verified.

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