WC 2023: Decoding England’s Floundering Title Defence in India | Sledging Room, Ep 79

What is going wrong with England? The defending champions have looked a shadow of their former self in the World Cup in India. Having lost 4 out of their first 5 matches, England have been rocked. They look a bit clueless with captain Jos Buttler not exuding the confidence and the charisma that Eoin Morgan did. This string of defeats marked the worst start for any defending champion since the 1999 World Cup. Criticism was rife, with many pointing fingers at the lack of attention given to domestic 50-over cricket in England. Former cricketer Nasser Hussain was particularly vocal, slamming the criticism and arguing that it provided an easy escape for the players from their underwhelming performance in India. To compound England’s woes, they will next face high-flying India on Sunday in Lucknow in what looks like a mismatch based on current form. India have not beaten England in World Cups since 2003 and Rohit Sharma’s men might just break that streak in style to potentially knock the holders out of the semi-final race. In the latest episode of Sledging Room, Rajarshi Gupta is joined by Akshay Ramesh and Saurabh Kumar as they decode England’s shocking run in India. Listen in! Produced and Sound Mix by Kapil Dev Singh