New Delhi: Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin Sunday attributed India’s lack of consistency as the reason behind their one-day International series loss to Australia and said the players need to learn to win close games in pressure situations.

“They (Indians) lack consistency. They have not performed consistently for the last 6-8 months and lost some close games. They need to win those close games,” said Azharuddin.

“Australia are a tough side. India are also no less and they have a lot of talent. But they are still a bit behind top teams like Australia and South Africa,” he said.

Advising the cricketers to maintain a fitness regime, Azharuddin, at the same time, also suggested they should not hide injuries.

“Most of the players these days play with injury and hide it. Why are they doing that? They are doing something wrong by hiding injuries. My advice to players is to tell your physio or doctor about your problem. It’s important to get it checked properly so as to prolong the career,” he said.

“Also, when the players go home after their hectic schedules, they tend to become casual,” he added.