'I have my doubts about India's chances at World Cup'

Mumbai, Feb 9: Making a critical assessment of the Indian team's recent performance in Australia, former India cricketer Mohinder Amarnath today said the team looks jaded and hardly look like a champion side.

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"One game can turn around things. But I have my doubts. To be very honest that they don't look like a champion team. When you see champions team, it's like West Indies and Australia. You win some you lose some that's fine. But your intentions should be very positive. This team somehow looks a jaded team. That sheen is not there that we would want to see in the team," Amarnath told reporters here yesterday (February 8).

"They probably have been travelling around. They have been playing a lot of cricket over the time. Probably a break in-between could have happened could have made a lot of difference. But they have been on the ground and practicing. They have been seeing the same people. You need a little bit change over there," he added.

About fitness problems in Indian team, Amarnath said,"Quite a few unfit players. They need time to recover. A champions team as a cup holder you have to show ball game which is missing."

The former India selector said the batsmen have been found wanting in their Australian tour and they need to start scoring runs. "They have been exposed in the series. Key players like Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan have not been scoring runs. If they have to score runs the top order must fire which we haven't seen so far. If you play bad cricket it is going to carry on. This trip even in Tests matches, only these two players - Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane shone with the bat. But you cannot win matches relying on just two players. You need the whole team to contribute," he said.

Amarnath, who had bagged the Man-of-the-Match award in both the semi-final and final of India's historic 1983 World Cup, said that India missed the trick by not selecting a leg-spinner.

"I think that team selection is being questioned. Three spinners. All three similar two left armers and one off spinner. A leg spinner or take two spinner and all rounder like Yuvraj Singh. You have an option and that's missing over here. And the form of Dhoni himself is a worry. The way he is playing getting out. "He doesn't look like the player he was in 2011. So all these worries are there. So if they want to do well they need to do as a team," he said.

PTI