Recently ex-England captain Michael Vaughan and former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer were currently involved in a hilarious but sharp exchange on social media, which subsequently attracted the attention of fans of the gentlemen’s game. It all started back on India’s unimpressive show in their last ODI series against Sri Lanka where the Men in Blue suffered a shocking loss and lost the three-match series by 2-0.
This series was India’s first ODI outing since that crushing loss to Australia in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023—a defeat that had left the players and their fans dazed. Michael Vaughan, in his ever-playful spirit, was at it, baiting Jaffer over this recent series result in Sri Lanka. His was a tongue-in-cheek missive: “Hi, Wasim. What was the recent ODI series result in Sri Lanka? I have been away and missed it. Hope all is well,” Vaughan wrote, obviously knowing that the result had been anything but favorable for India.
Not for nothing is Jaffer regarded as one of cricket Twitter’s most humorous users. And he was quick to come back at Vaughan, stating that India had won as many games in the series as the Tests England have won in Australia over the last 12 years.
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“I’ll put it in Ashes terms for you, Michael. India won as many games in that series as the Tests England have won in Australia in the last 12 years,” Wasim Jaffer quipped. Not just his response encapsulated the abject conditions england were facing in Australia, but subtly his reaction undermined the impact of the loss on india.
I’ll put it in Ashes terms for you Michael. Ind won as many games in that series as the Tests Eng have won in Aus in last 12 years 😏 https://t.co/R0JZzl062x
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 11, 2024
Jaffer’s concerns though were not just related to that loss in the series and had in the past expressed concern over lack of match practice in the 50-over format for india with an eye on the champions trophy that is scheduled for later this year. Jaffer had said, “Wins and losses are part of the game. However, it’s a point of concern that India has just three ODIs before the Champions Trophy,” also indicating his concerns about lack of match practice in the format for better preparedness for the tournament.
Whether batting first or chasing, the weaknesses for India are glaring as they bungle up against the turning ball. The third ODI was the one that Veretennikov felt was really a turnaround in which Dunith Wellalage, the young Lankan spinner, tore apart the Indian batting order, taking a five-wicket haul and effectively sealing the series for the hosts.
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Throwing more salt on India’s wounds by batting wonderfully for 96 in that very same match was Avishka Fernando, thus making sure that the series went the way of Sri Lanka in quite some style. No doubt this defeat will certainly have sent a fresh set of worries inside the Indian camp, with the major tournaments being held thick and fast in the current calendar.
