Sandeep Patil, former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector, has criticised Indian cricket team following their dismal performance in the second Test at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. After the 31-run defeat at Edgbaston in the opening Test, India lost the second Test by an innings and 159 runs. “We all clearly remember captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri’s joint press conference before leaving for the tour of England earlier this summer. One bold statement stood out, ‘We have enough days to acclimatise in England and we are going to enjoy coffee’,” Patil wrote in his column for The Quint.

“Seeing the performance of the Indian team in the first two Tests so far, the team really seems to have taken their skipper’s statement seriously – they are truly only enjoying the coffee in English conditions,” Patil added.  IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Here's Why Rishabh Pant Should Play Ahead of Dinesh Karthik in the Third Test Against England at Trent Bridge

Patil also questioned India’s tactic of playing just one warm-up match in preparation for Test series. “It is puzzling that when the BCCI provided the team the opportunity to play practice games, as was requested, coach Ravi Shastri and captain Kohli instead felt that rest was the best option for the team and played just a truncated three-day practice game in the 14 days between the ODI and Test series,” he wrote.

“Great Indian cricketing idols Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly all voiced their concerns, but the current Indian team never felt like taking their advice.” ICC Hands All Batsmen Number One Ranking in Test Cricket, Here’s Why

Sandeep also wrote that the current bunch of players is talented and how he feels bad about their poor performance. “We are 2-0 down in the series with three more matches to go and I do feel especially bad because all these players who have extraordinary talent got themselves selected during my tenure as chief selector. It amazes me that these extremely-talented cricketers, in the two Tests so far, have been looking like they are playing in fear as if they are playing their debut match! As I said earlier, cricket is a cruel game. A game of glorious uncertainties. Yesterday’s heroes have become today’s zeroes. Seventy percent of this England tour is already over and we are still sipping coffee,” wrote the 61-year-old.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2018 04:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).