India’s forgettable loss to England in the semi-final in Adelaide extended their drought for an ICC trophy since 2013. But the way of the defeat turned into a matter of concern in the cricketing fraternity. And, former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar expressed that a lack of a rapid pacer on bowling-friendly conditions cost India’s fast bowling.

“It’s a very embarrassing loss for India. They played terribly and they deserved to lose and didn’t deserve to qualify for the finals. India were beaten very badly. Their bowling was exposed very badly. These conditions are helpful for fast bowling, and India don’t have an express pacer. I am not sure why they didn’t play Chahal in a single match. It’s a confusing team selection for India,” Shoaib Akhtar was quoted as saying in his video.

The former pacer also said that the Indian bowlers failed to score under pressure once the English openers took the attack to them. They did not try anything different and kept on doing the same thing as well. The lack of aggression cost them the all-important game. He also stated that Hardik Pandya, who has been named the stand-in skipper for the New Zealand series, has the potential to be the captain on a permanent basis.

“It was a really bad day for India as their heads went down after they lost the toss. When England batted their first five overs, the Indians raised their hands. At least, India should have tried to fight, come round the wicket and bowl bouncers. They showed no aggression whatsoever. There is a lot to think about for Indian cricket. Hardik Pandya is an emerging captain for New Zealand and he has a chance of being permanent,” Shoaib Akhtar concluded.