'Played For Reputation' - Gautam Gambhir Criticises England's Approach 

image-lo76w4f9SL floored England at 156 in Bengaluru (AP Photo)

Gautam Gambhir lambasted England's struggling batting unit after their horrendous collapse in the must-win league stage encounter against Sri Lanka at the ICC World Cup 2023 on Thursday (October 26). 

As the much-vaunted Three Lions unveiled a lacklustre showing to be all out for 156 after opting to bat first on a flat deck in Bangalore, the former India opener took the reigning world champions to the task and questioned whether they were playing for their "reputation" above the country.

England stuck to their ultraggressive approach with the bat in hand even as the spirited Lankan Lions built constant inroads in their star-studded line-up and paid the ultimate prize for donning the high-risk avatar. 

The 2019 champions were bundled out inside 34 overs with no evident effort made to revisit the attacking brand of play they've come to be associated with and readjust the tempo of their innings. England kept playing shots and kept falling like a pack of cards in a game they could ill afford to lose. 


Gambhir Questions England's Rigid Approach 

Speaking on host broadcaster Star Sports, Gambhir questioned the rigidity on display from England throughout their disastrous collapse and asked why couldn't English batters pull back the gears and play for the situation at hand. 

Multiple England players tried to ruffle the opposition feathers by going after the bowling and were dismissed without making the required substantial contribution. 

43 off 73 deliveries from comeback man Ben Stokes was the only innings of note in the middle-order after the departure of top-order duo Jonny Bairstow (30) and Dawid Malan (28) laid bare England's World Cup problems. 

"England batters played more for their reputation than for England," Gambhir said in a brutal assessment of England's inflexible approach and overtly aggressive outlook towards batting. 



In trying to give their vulnerable bowling unit an above-par score on the board to defend, the Three Lions lost sight of the immediate challenge versus a Lankan attack that tested their resolve and technique with both spin and pace at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.