India Can Beat Anyone, But Must Find Balance: Brett Lee
Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee believes India knows they can defeat any team in Test cricket, but emphasizes the need for the Rohit Sharma-led side to find a balance when rebuilding their innings in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Lee’s remarks come after India, currently leading the World Test Championship cycle, faced an eight-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the opening Test in Bengaluru. This match marked New Zealand’s first Test victory in India since 1988.
The match highlighted India’s struggle to adapt to seam-friendly conditions, with the team collapsing to just 46 runs in their first innings amid overcast skies at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
“India didn’t just go into their shell. Perhaps Bazball is influencing cricketers worldwide. I know India won’t be pleased with their performance; they played some loose shots,” Lee noted on Fox Cricket’s The Follow-On podcast.
He also warned against taking unnecessary risks when aggressive shots aren’t working. “You’ve got to assess the risk factor. There are times when you need to say, ‘Okay, maybe the big shots aren’t working today.’ They should have adapted to the conditions more quickly.”
With India now trailing 1-0 in the three-match series against New Zealand, they will aim to level the series when the second Test begins at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Thursday.
