Former England star Michael Vaughan has lashed out at India after their disastrous semifinal loss to England at the T20 World Cup, labelling the powerhouse side the 'most underperforming white-ball team' in the history of the sport.
The former England skipper launched the broadside just after Virat Kohli's side were thrashed by 10 wickets at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, with openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales thumping their way to the 169-run target with four overs to spare.
India won the One Day International World Cup on home soil in 2011, but since then they have failed to live up to their reputation as cricket's richest and most talented side in a series of failures in both ODI and T20 tournaments.
'India are playing a white-ball game that is dated, and have done for years,’ the veteran of 82 Tests wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald.
'I am just staggered by how they play T20 cricket for the talent they have. They have the players, but just do not have the right process in place.
'They have to go for it. Why do they give the opposition bowlers the first five overs to bed in?'
Vaughan also criticised India for failing to get the best out of Rishabh Pant, fielding a side that only has five bowling options - whereas past sides featured batters who were also good with the ball in hand - and not playing a quality leg spinner or seamer who can swing deliveries into right-handers.
“India are the most under-performing white-ball team in history. Every player in the world who goes to the Indian Premier League says how it improves their game but what have India ever delivered?” Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph. ‘For all the advantages India have, they must win more ... They massively underachieve for their skill levels,’ added Vaughan, who was left 'staggered' by the team’s lack of tactical nous.
The ex-opening batsman went on to explain that the side's chances are talked up at every world cup, but 'nobody wants to criticise them because you get hammered on social media and pundits worry about losing work in India one day'.