New Delhi: India won’t go into a shell after going down in the first Test against New Zealand and are formidable enough to script a turnaround in the three-match series, says former Australia pacer Brett Lee, who also believes that Rohit Sharma’s boys could win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
India lost the first Test against the Kiwis by eight wickets in Bengaluru. With the second game beginning on Thursday in Pune, the hosts will be keen to bounce back, which Lee says they are more than capable of.
India are looking to qualify for the World Test Championship final for the third consecutive time and are scheduled to tour Australia in November with the aim of defending their Border-Gavaskar crown.
“This day and age, India is a powerhouse that don’t want to bow down. They know how to win, and they know they can beat Australia; they know they can beat the Kiwis. They know they can beat anyone on any given day,” Lee told Fox Cricket.
Lee pointed out that loose shots from batters contributed to their loss in the first Test and attributed it to an influence from England’s Bazball approach.
“India just didn’t go into their shell. Maybe it’s Bazball brushing off on other cricketers around the world. I know that India won’t be proud of the way they played. They played some pretty loose shots.”
Questionable decision
India’s decision to bat after winning the toss under overcast conditions backfired as they were bowled out for their lowest Test score at home of 46 runs.
Former tearaway quick Lee said India should have judged the playing conditions as they are the home team. They also need to balance risky shots with watchful batting.
“But, you’ve got to weigh up the risk factor as well. There are times when you’ve got to go, ‘Okay, well, maybe the big shots aren’t working today’.
“Maybe, just rein it in a little bit. I don’t think they sort of summed up the conditions as quickly as what they should have done,” Lee said.
