Why Indian batsmen are throwing away their wickets

While India did manage to pull off a good chase to beat Australia in Adelaide on Sunday, there are still a few departments which need a lot of work. Top of the list has to be the Indian batsmen's tendency to throw their wickets away at crucial junctures when there's absolutely no need to play rash shots.

Take this. Virat Kohli was batting superbly on 31 in the 1st ODI vs Australia, till a rush of blood saw him throw away his wicket. In the second ODI, Suresh Raina had settled down after scoring 24 vs Sri Lanka, but he couldn't resist playing an awkward pull shot and perished. In the 4th ODI vs the Aussies, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir had put on 76...But on 33, Rohit decided to pretty much gift his wicket.

These are all instances of Indian batsmen throwing their wickets away. Instances that point at perhaps one of the biggest chinks in the Indian ODI armour.

Former India captain and NDTV expert Mr Sunil Gavasakar thinks this is the effect of the T20 cricket.

"I think this is the effect of the T20 format, because what the t20 format does is encourage the batsman to go for the big shots. Those shots are absolutely necessary in the t20 format, but once it gets into your system, you feel you can get away with it in the 50 overs format as well," Mr Gavaskar said.

But one thing that the Indian batsmen will have to remember is that the grounds in Australia are way bigger than the ones back home.

And coach Duncan Fletcher too will have to make sure he talks to the players about not being carried away when it comes to shot selection.

"Well he and the senior players have to instill in the players that 'look when you have the opposition on the back foot, don't allow them an entry in the door and if that means you have to curb that natural instinct to go for that big shot you have to do that in the interest of the team'," Mr Gavaskar added.

Thankfully, India have won two of the three ODIs they have played so far, despite a number of these errors. But it's not every day that the opposition will allow them to get back into the contest.