New Delhi, March 16 : Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar feels India got a taste of their own medicine in World Twenty20 loss to New Zealand and should be prepared to handle quality spin if they want to dish out rank turners for their opponents.India lost to New Zealand by 47 runs on a spinner-friendly wicket at the VCA stadium in Nagpur, where the opposition’s spinners snared nine out of the 10 wickets.
“If you are giving this medicine (spinning track) to opposition, then you should be able to take it yourself. We need to accept that India have struggled against quality spin bowling. If they would have won, there would not have been any talk on the pitch,” Gavaskar told NDTV here on Wednesday.
The Nagpur pitch received an official warning from the ICC last November when a Test between India and South Africa finished in two-and-a-half days, with some of the deliveries turning square.
The legendary batsman feels that after losing the first match, India have made it very difficult for themselves not only in terms of playing arch-rivals Pakistan in the next game but also the fact that another defeat will mean ouster from the tournament.
“Whether you win or lose, the next game against Pakistan is a must-win game. Also, if you lose, then you are out of the tournament. They have struggled against New Zealand, they might find it even tougher against Pakistan, if this is the kind of pitches they want,” he said.
While he felt the Indians seemed “over-confident”, the Black Caps needed to be lauded for their team combination.
“India lost because they were over-confident but the New Zealand think-tank needs to be credited for picking three spinners for this match.”
New Zealand played left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, later named Man of the Match for his four-wicket haul, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, who got three wickets, and off-spinner Nathan McCullum, who also bowled tightly to claim two wickets.
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