India Changed Colours Based on Format, Did Not Have a Good Tour of England: Sunil Gavaskar to NDTV
India's long and tough tour of England, lasting 77 days, came to an end on Sunday with a narrow three-run loss in the one-off T20. They had lost the Test series 3-1 and won the ODIs by the same margin.
Former India skipper and NDTV expert Sunil Gavaskar shared his views on India's long tour of England, saying Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co. changed colours like a chameleon while shifting from Tests to ODIs. (MS Dhoni chooses silence as home fans boo England)
"Biggest take away from the 77-day long tour is that India are far more comfortable in limited-overs version," Gavaskar said in an exclusive chat with NDTV. (Suggested read: Shastri backs 'fatherly' Fletcher, says he is tremendous)
"India changed their colours depending on the format of the game. While they are being meek and tentative in Tests, they are directive and far more energetic in the limited-overs cricket. (Reports of Duncan Fletcher, Ravi Shastri to be tabled at BCCI Working Committee meeting)
"The main thing, like I had said before, was the shift from the red ball to the white one. Also, the pitch conditions were completely different in Tests and ODIs," he added. (Suresh Raina jumps eight places to enter top-20 in ICC rankings)
After India's final match on the tour on Sunday -- the one-off T20 -- skipper MS Dhoni said that it was an overall good outing for India and there was a lot to learn from the experience. Gavaskar, however, differed in opinion, saying it couldn't have been a good tour.
"It can't be a good tour if they've lost as badly as they did in the Test series. Their recovery in one-dayers was very good but when you lose Test matches inside three days and your team has barely batted for 100-120 overs, then you definitely did not have a good tour."
Team India's next assignment is against the West Indies at home, starting with the first ODI on October 8. The Test series begins on October 30.