Picture Credit: Twitter
Basit Ali, the former Pakistan Test cricketer, has launched a vicious attack on Indian head coach Rahul Dravid after his team has faltered in the first three days of the WTC Final 2023. Before the start of day 4, Australia were 123/4 in their second innings, leading Team India by 296 runs, a commanding position on a wearing batting pitch.
According to Basit Ali, who has been a part of 19 Tests and 50 ODIs in Pakistan colours, the Indian cricket team can get a positive result at the end of WTC final, only through a miracle in the fourth innings. He also pointed out that India have only a select few players who are fit enough to take the field, while taking names of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, and Ravindra Jadeja.
On his YouTube channel, he was quoted as saying, “India lost the match the moment they chose to bowl worrying about the first two hours. And the kind of bowling that was on display was just like IPL. By lunch, the Indian bowlers appeared so happy as if they'd won the match. All India can do now is hope to get them out cheaply and hope for a miracle in the fourth innings. During the 120 overs that India fielded, I could see only 2-3 players being fit - Rahane, Kohli and Jadeja. The rest looked tired.”
Then, Ali turned his attention to Dravid, the former captain and head coach of Team India, by stating that he is a huge fan of him as a player, but as a coach, he considers him absolutely zero. He said, “I am a huge Rahul Dravid fan, have always been and will remain. He is a class player, a legend. But as a coach, he is absolutely zero.”
“You prepared turning pitches on India. Just answer me this. When India travelled to Australia, were there similar wickets? They had bouncy pitches, right? God knows what he was thinking. Jab upar wala akal baant raha tha toh pata nahi kaha pahaado ke peeche chhupe huye thhe (God knows where he was when god was distributing brains),” he further added.