‘I’m not really surprised’: Former India cricketer explains why after shock defeat to Ireland

Ireland stunned India to win the series 2-0. (Image credit: Cricket Ireland) NEW DELHI: Former India batsman Ambati Rayudu has admitted he was “not really surprised” by India’s stunning 0-2 T20I series defeat to Ireland, saying the reigning world champions were simply not prepared for vastly different conditions after a high-scoring Indian Premier League season.India, led by Shreyas Iyer, suffered a historic series loss after losing the second T20I by one run in Belfast, with their batsmen struggling to adjust to the slow two-pace surface.“No, I’m not really surprised because I don’t think they were prepared well enough for the conditions they encountered,” Rayudu told PTI. “It’s always very, very difficult to go from really flat fairways to slightly spongy wickets that also have some lateral movement.”The former India international felt that the transition from IPL batting pitches to Test conditions in Ireland exposed the technical flaws in the batting unit.“Most guys are so used to having these really quick swings, between the game and controlling the downswing is the main problem,” the 40-year-old explained.

Rayudu identifies Tilak’s challenge and urges patience with Sooryavanshi

Rayudu also highlighted an area that India vice-captain Tilak Varma needs to improve despite his struggling 55 in the second T20I.“More than his mental attitude, his game against slow bowling on slow surfaces was a struggle for a while,” said Rayudu. “Whenever he hits wickets where the ball doesn’t really get on the bat, we’ve seen him struggle a little bit with acceleration.According to Rayudu, Tilak’s reluctance to use his legs against spin limits his scoring options on slower tracks.“Against the spinners, he likes to approach the boundaries of the square a lot more…he doesn’t use his leg as much. He doesn’t sweep the ball up the pitch and there are a lot of shots that he doesn’t play in a conventional way. If he improves that side of the game, the increase in pace will be a by-product, a by-product of that,” he explained.The former Chennai Super Kings batsman also weighed in on the growing demands for 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his India debut after being left out of both the matches against Ireland.“It’s always good to go with your seasoned openers who have done really well (and) won the World Cup. Giving them the first chance, enough opportunities is very, very important,” Rayudu said.“He’s experiencing what the Indian dressing room is like, what to expect, what his role has to be. So there’s so many things he’s going to learn on this tour which will ultimately help him. But I wouldn’t really rush to get him in a bilateral match just because we haven’t won a couple of games,” he added.Despite India’s disappointing results, Rayudu believes the upcoming five-match T20I series in England will present a completely different challenge.“I wouldn’t really read too much into it because when we go to England, the wickets are much, much better than what they have faced here,” he said, expressing his belief that the conditions would suit India’s style of batting better.

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