Currently, the Indian team is undergoing immense criticism owing to their poor performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. Team India began their campaign with a 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan and then followed it up with an eight-wicket loss against New Zealand. After their second consecutive defeat, India’s batting strategy has been scrutinized with many feeling that the team management made a mistake in demoting Rohit Sharma to No. 3.

In Dubai on Sunday, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul opened the innings for India with Rohit at No. 3 and Kohli at No. 4. Former opener Virender Sehwag criticized the batting strategy and compared it to India’s disastrous performance in the 2007 ODI World Cup. In 2007, a Rahul Dravid-led Indian team exited the tournament in the group stage.

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Speaking to Cricbuzz, Virender Sehwag said, “In 2007, we made two mistakes. We were chasing really well. We won 17 consecutive matches while chasing but then when the 50-over World Cup came, our coach said that we need batting practice. But then I said that let us win two matches first and then we can have batting practice in the next six games. But he said no.”

Former Indian opener also explained that Sachin wasn’t required to balance the middle-order as India already had the likes of Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, and MS Dhoni to play that role.

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Sehwag explained, “The other mistake was that when the opening pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were performing so well, before that Sehwag and Sachin’s opening partnership was also working well, why were they broken? You already had three players to control; Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. So why did you need a fourth player to control the middle order. When teams play bad, you change your strategy and that is why they play bad.”