India have not been able to handle the pressure in crucial matches – Gautam Gambhir

The Indian team won their last big tournament back in 2013 – Champions Trophy under the leadership of former skipper MS Dhoni. Since then the Men in Blue have consistently made it to the knockout matches but they haven’t been able to cross the last few hurdles.

India lost the 2014 T20 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, 2015 World Cup semifinal against Australia, 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final against West Indies, 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan and the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

That is three semi-finals and two finals of the big events of the ICC. It is well known that the pressure in these imperative matches is huge and the side which handles it better, goes on to win these matches. Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir believes that the team has not been able to handle the pressure in those crucial matches.

In fact, India big guns like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan have all got out cheaply in these games, which has left the team behind the eight-ball from the beginning. The team was not able to get back into the contest after losing their three main batsmen.

Gambhir added that the team has to show it is good enough to be called world champions and for that you have to win these big games.

“What sets you apart from being a good player to being a very, very good player in a team squad is what you do in those crucial games. I think probably we have not been able to handle the pressure, probably other teams have been able to handle the pressure that way,” Gambhir said on the Cricket Connected Show on Star Sports.

“If you look at all the semi-finals and finals, it just shows when playing really well in the league stage and you don’t play well in the semi-finals or knockouts, it’s probably your mental toughness as well. We can keep talking that we’ve got everything, we have the ability to be the world champions, but till the time you don’t go on the cricket field and prove that, you will never be called the world champions.”

There is no doubt that there is a lot of talent and skills in the current Indian team and it has been a surprise that they have not been able to go all the way in the big tournaments. Virat Kohli’s side have got the players but they need to hold on to their nerves better in the crucial games.

One of India’s Achilles Heel in the 2019 World Cup was their vulnerable middle-order and it proved costly in the semi-final against the Kiwis when the team lost early wickets. The selectors had backed inexperienced players and it was not a prudent decision.

The Indian team has been ticking the right boxes and that is why they are consistently making it to the knockout stages but they need to find a way to win big matches.