Flintoff blasts shabby, unfit India

Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has questioned the fitness level of Indians and also criticized the visiting team for their "shabby" warm-up routines.

India, which is hoping to salvage some pride and avoid a humiliating whitewash in the 4th Test at The Oval, have been ravaged by injuries to key players and have not looked their usual self in the series so far.

The former Test cricketer, who was forced to cut short his international career due to a recurring ankle injury said, "England looked by far the fitter team, joking that some of the India players were 'popping out of their shirts'."

Flintoff drew a stark contrast between the two teams as they warmed up for the first day's play of the fourth and final Test of the series at The Oval.

"I've not seen much of the summer, and this morning I watched the two sides warming up," he said.

"I saw India, and they looked like they'd got their kit out of the garage. They were all in different gear. England looked really professional next to them. They just looked poles apart," he told BBC Test Match Special.

Flintoff added he felt sorry for his former England coach Duncan Fletcher, who took over the India job in June, after watching Team India's fielding practice.

"Watching the slip catching practice, you had England on one side diving around, the ball fizzing through," he said.

"I used to do it with Duncan Fletcher. I bet you he's tearing his hair out.

"They were clapping everything down: the keeper was missing them, the slips were dropping them. It just looked shabby," Flintoff said.