India faced widespread criticism following a crushing innings loss to South Africa, conceding a lead of 163 and crumbling to 131 in the second innings. Virat Kohli‘s lone fight, scoring 76 off 82 deliveries, couldn’t salvage the situation.
India’s struggles continue with forgettable 2023
Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, faced widespread criticism for their performance in 2023, including defeats in the World Test Championship (WTC) and the ODI World Cup 2023 finals. The recent loss to South Africa added to their woes.
Michael Vaughan labels India as ‘underachieving’
Speaking on Fox Cricket, during the Australia–Pakistan Test at the MCG, in response to Mark Waugh’s question, Vaughan labeled India as the most ‘underachieving’ team globally. He emphasized that India, despite having talent and resources, has failed to secure major honors for years.
“Here’s a question for you – India, in terms of cricket, are they one of the most under-achieving sports team in the world?,” Waugh asked.
“With all the talent that they have… I think they are, yeah. Well, they don’t win anything. When was the last time they won something? With all the talent they have, all the skillsets… they won here (Australia) twice, magnificient but the last few World Cups, been nowhere, T20 World Cups, nowhere. You go so South Africa, who are, you know, uselful in Test match cricket and to produce a performance like that… I mean, with all the talent they have, and the resources they have, I don’t think they win anything,” Vaughan said.
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Doubts cast on India’s ability to win significant titles
When Waugh pointed out India’s strong performance in the World Cup before losing to Australia in the final, Vaughan reiterated his stance, highlighting that they didn’t win that either. India’s upcoming Test assignment after South Africa series is a five-match home series against England starting from January 25.
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