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Harare - Zimbabwe interim coach Makhaya Ntini has blasted his batsmen for their poor decisions in the second ODI against India, saying they have enough experience to know when to hit out and when to leave a good delivery.
Zimbabwe lost the game by eight wickets after being bowled out for 126, and they lost their last six wickets for just 20 runs after being in a good position. Ntini was furious, saying batsmen like Vusi Sibanda and Elton Chigumbura should have known better.
"I almost hanged myself, if there was a tomato tree outside I would have hanged myself in that tomato tree. It’s no good. We have experienced players with us who can easily read the game. We were in the perfect position," Ntini is quoted as saying by SACricket Magazine.
He implored the batsmen to take their time, and to play the deliveries on their merits rather than trying to hit every ball for six. He finally added that they still believed they could win the third match.
Ntini further told AFP: "All of a sudden we lost two wickets, within one over. For me it tells straightaway that I think we never respect a good over.
"It was a good over (Yuzvendra Chahal's fifth over) where we tried to force matters, that's where the game changed. They need to learn that if the guy is bowling very well, respect that.
"You have got a lot of time in 50 overs. The players need to have the maturity of being able to read the game and understand the situation.
"It's how the Indian team batted. They read the situation, they knew that if there's a good bowler, they respect that. They waited for the bad ball. We didn't, we tried to force matters.
"It's a matter of understanding. Have a look at who is bowling very well, try to take singles, frustrate him. But we wanted to hit him for a six where we know that there was a fielder. They put a fielder there.
"If there's a fielder, hit it down, get the single. We didn't do that. We haven't batted very well, our bowlers are very good but there's no score that they can defend.
"Everyone still believes that they can do it. There's no change in that."
