'Didn't CSK win IPL final batting first? Coaches giving such excuses is very poor': Harbhajan reacts to Arun's statement

Veteran off-spinner does not agree with bowing coach Bharat Arun’s statements that had India won its tosses, things would have panned out differently for them at the T20 World Cup. Arun, on the eve of India’s final match of the T20 World Cup, listed two reasons behind India’s indifferent performance at the ICC event, mentioning that toss and bio-bubble fatigue were the reasons that led to India tasting defeats in the first two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. 

However, Harbhajan feels otherwise, and added that the reason behind India's exit from the World Cup is due to a bad performance and nothing else. The spinner cited IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings' example, pointing out how despite batting first, the team went on to beat Kolkata Knight Riders in the final not too long ago.

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"I heard Bharat Arun saying that had India won the toss, they could have done this and done that. All that is up for a later discussion. If you had though that you wanted to bowl first or bat first, well… didn't Chennai Super Kings win the IPL after batting first? They did score 190, so you have to make runs. Let us accept the fact that we didn't play well as we should have and we did not live up to expectations," Harbhajan said on Sports Tak.

Harbhajan went on, saying that if coaches start giving out excuses, it sets a bad precedent and mentioned that instead of looking for 'excuses', it is important to realise that India's performance was just not up to the standards the world knows them to perform and that going forward, the team should look to play better instead of hiding behind excuses.

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"It's easy. There is no if and but involved, things like 'if we had won the toss, we would have won the match as well'. It doesn't work that way. There are teams who did not win the toss but ended up winning the match. Such things are said by teams who aren't as developed. But India are a strong unit, a champion unit," added Harbhajan.

"If coaches give such excuses, it's really wrong. Let us admit we did not play well, which can happen. Not a problem, but going forward, it should be a learning that we should not give out such statements and try to play better."