India captain K.L. Rahul on Sunday said there needs to be some “hard conversations” for his team after their 3-0 defeat in the one-day international series against a relatively inexperienced South Africa.
India were expected to win the series, especially as all three games were played on pitches that suited their side, but they could not get over the line.
The team were without the injured Rohit Sharma, who will be captain when he returns, but was otherwise at close to full strength.
Photo: AFP
“Our shot selection has been poor at times and with the ball we haven’t been hitting the right areas consistently enough,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation after an agonizing four-run loss in the third game at Newlands in Cape Town. “That’s why we ended up losing the series. We need to try and understand how we can get better as a team.”
India looked flat at times in the series, but Rahul does not believe the players can be questioned for effort.
“I can’t fault the boys for the passion and the effort. Yes, in terms of skill and understanding the situation of the game, sometimes we have gone wrong, but that can happen,” he said.
He believes what is important now is for the team to regroup and take stock of the series loss, and make changes where they feel it is necessary.
“We kept making the same mistakes, but it is early on in our journey to the World Cup. So we must go back, have some hard conversations and look at ourselves in the mirror to see where we can get better,” he said.
WEST INDIES V ENGLAND
Reuters
England on Sunday held their nerve in the face of a late assault by Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd to secure a one-run victory over the West Indies in Bridgetown and level their five-match T20 international series at 1-1.
Chasing 172 to win, the hosts lost seven wickets for 65 runs before big hitting by Hosein (44 not out off 16 balls) and Shepherd (44 not out off 28 balls) took them to 170-8 in 20 overs.
The West Indies had needed 30 runs off the final over, bowled by Saqib Mahmood, and Hosein almost got them there by smashing 28, including three sixes off the final three balls.
“I’m delighted, even with the last quarter of the game, these are the games we want to play in, tight games to work on death hitting and bowling,but the majority of the day we adapted well, with more intent and clarity,” England captain Eoin Morgan said. “We need to establish the rhythm of the game, not necessarily fluent partnerships ... dot, dot, dot, wicket, boundary, but we countered what West Indies had to offer.”
England, who scored 103 in their opener, put up a more challenging total on Sunday, with Jason Roy scoring 45, while Moeen Ali (31) and Chris Jordan (27) also chipped in.
Moeen later excelled with the ball, bagging 3-24, while Adil Rashid claimed two wickets.
West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard said he was pleased with his team’s effort heading into tomorrow’s third game.
“I can see the confidence with the guys in the changing room. We’ll have days like this, but my thing is the fight that the guys continue to show,” Pollard said.
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