Muzumdar asks for ‘18 months’ to turn 'inexperienced' bowling into attacking unit
Addressing the media after the loss, Muzumdar reiterated that India's bowling philosophy remains rooted in attacking cricket, insisting that the team has no intention of shifting towards a defensive mindset despite the disappointing campaign.
“We always talk in our meetings about picking up wickets. Whatever be the format of the game – whether it is T20, 50-over, or Test match cricket – it is all about picking up wickets when you're on the field. Containment is never a line that we use. We always think about picking up wickets in the dressing room, and I think that will be the mode of operation going forward as well. We keep thinking of wickets when the ball is in our hand,” Muzumdar said in a post-match presser.
While accepting that the bowling unit fell short during the tournament, Muzumdar urged patience, pointing to the group's lack of international experience.
“If you look at our bowling attack, it's been very inexperienced as far as international cricket is concerned. So I've said this before in the previous press conference: give us 18 months and this attack will be a different one,” he noted.
Assessing the contest against Australia, Muzumdar believed India had posted a competitive total but admitted the opposition ultimately proved superior on the day.
“I thought it was a good score, a par score on this pitch. We even got the momentum towards the end of that innings, and I think we carried it on the field as well. It's just that I think at the end of the day, Australia were a better side than us,” Muzumdar told reporters after India’s loss.
The head coach also shed light on the decision to retire out Jemimah Rodrigues late in the innings, explaining that the move was dictated by the match situation rather than any reflection on the batter's contribution.
“It really didn't strike me at that time (with 3-4 overs to spare). I thought Jemi is a clutch player for us. Jemi and Harman, both of them, were going really strong. In the last two overs, I felt that Jemi couldn't penetrate that field, and that's why that call was taken,” he added.
He also highlighted the absence of all-rounder Shreyanka Patil as a significant setback, particularly on a surface where her skillset could have made a substantial impact.
"And also, it didn't help Shreyanka not being there. Shreyanka was probably one of our strikers. So it didn't help her missing out on half of the tournament. We really missed her in this game today. I think she would have made a difference on that pitch and on this ground,” he added.
On the batting front, Muzumdar rejected suggestions that India lacked intent, maintaining that the team had embraced an aggressive approach throughout the tournament. However, he admitted the bowling and fielding units failed to provide enough support.
"We have been batting with a lot of intent. We have been positive in our thinking. We have been thinking about fours and sixes, as modern-day T20 cricket is all about fours and sixes. So, we have been thinking and we have been playing in that fashion for sure. It's just that our bowling also needs to up the ante a little bit. I don't think our bowling or our fielding helped the cause, to be very honest,” Muzumdar expressed.
Looking ahead, the head coach called for a broader reassessment of the team's T20 blueprint, saying the lessons from the tournament must shape future planning.
"We need to really go back and think how we're going to approach the T20 game and also be in that positive frame of mind. We really need to put our heads around what combination we are going to play,” he admitted.
Summing up India's campaign, Muzumdar identified bowling, fielding and greater batting aggression as the three primary areas requiring immediate attention.
“If I have to pinpoint certain things in the entire tournament, I think we really need to think about our bowling and our fielding. We also need to be a little aggressive with the bat, and we could have maybe 15-20 runs as a cushion (against Australia),” he opined.
When asked whether India could have accelerated during the Powerplay against Australia, Muzumdar acknowledged there was room for improvement but stopped short of attributing the defeat solely to that phase.
"Yes, we could have had. I mean, every time you lose a game, you would want 10-15 runs more in the pocket, but I guess that wasn't the case. Of course, the powerplay didn't really go our way. It could have gone maybe 10-15 runs more at that time. Maybe that could have been the difference. But having said that, we hadn't lost any wicket then, so we were in total control of things. But as I said, I think Australia chased it down really well. They were also three wickets down (at the halfway mark), mind you,” he said.
