India got a little ahead of themselves by not changing WTC final squad despite rain delay: Alastair Cook

India may have been too confident of their playing XI for the World Test Championship and should have made changes when they saw that the first day was washed, former England captain Alastair Cook has said.

“They (India) got a bit confident in picking that side three days out before (the game) and playing two spinners where they pretty much knew it was going to rain for a lot of that game. So a lot of seam bowling was bowled. Even though their spinners are world-class, they got a little bit ahead of themselves there,” said Cook on the Tuffers and Vaughan podcast on BBC Sport.

Cook, like many other former players and commentators, also said that India were behind New Zealand as far as match practice was concerned. New Zealand beat England 1-0 in the United Kingdom in preparation for the final while India arrived in the country nearly a month after their opponents and played only an intra-squad game.

“I did say New Zealand were going to win that game purely down to the fact that they were match-hardened. Those two Test matches against England were such perfect preparation,” said Cook.

“Intra-squad games, as good as your intention might be, they haven’t got the same intensity. The first hour might be really competitive but everything goes less and less and less. India were hard done by that way,” he added.