Gautam Gambhir questioned by Ex-Aussie captain over selection decision: 'I would be very surprised if he…'

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has questioned India’s team selection after their four-wicket loss to Australia in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. Finch suggested that head coach Gautam Gambhir may have overloaded the team with batters at the expense of bowling balance.

Arshdeep’s exclusion raises questions

Finch, speaking on JioStar, said he was surprised by the decision to leave out left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who is India’s top wicket-taker in the format. The World Cup-winning captain said that he expects Arshdeep to return to the playing XI for the next T20I in Hobart.

“Arshdeep Singh should be in the team. I would be very surprised if he doesn’t make it back for the next game. One thing I have learned about T20 cricket, when you go in with too many batters, sometimes the responsibility gets diluted,” Finch said after the match.

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“Batters subconsciously assume someone else will get the job done. But if you play one fewer batter, it’s amazing how often the rest step up. India clearly has the World Cup in mind, and this series is part of that process of finding the right combinations to win that tournament,” he added.

India went into the Melbourne clash with Harshit Rana ahead of Arshdeep, a move that raised eyebrows. Rana was even promoted to No. 7 in the batting order and did contribute some valuable runs alongside Abhishek Sharma to steady India after a top-order collapse. However, his bowling failed to make an impact, conceding 27 runs in just two overs as Australia chased down the target of 126 in only 13.2 overs.

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Gambhir has received criticism in the past for allegedly favouring Rana across all formats. Both were part of the IPL 2024-winning team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a couple of years ago. Gambhir defended Rana during the recent Test series against West Indies, saying that the player has come into the side on his own merit and not through favours.

With the series now in Australia’s favour at 1-0 after a washed-out opening match in Adelaide and a four-wicket loss in Melbourne, Gambhir and his team management will have a tough decision to make ahead of the third T20I. All eyes will be on whether Arshdeep returns to bring balance back to India’s bowling attack.