 "Gautam Gambhir's coaching tactics questioned by former stars: 'India didn't get the batting order right'")
India’s 26-run defeat to England in the third bilateral T20I on Tuesday has raised serious concerns about the team’s strategies, particularly with regards to their batting order and bowling selections. Several former cricketers have voiced their displeasure with the decisions made under head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, criticizing key aspects of India’s approach during the match.
One of the major talking points was India’s batting order, with former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen leading the charge. He was particularly vocal about the position of Dhruv Jurel, who has been an impressive batter but was relegated lower down the order.
India’s team selection strategy slammed
“India didn’t get the batting order right. Dhruv Jurel is an accomplished batter. Having him lower down the order for the left and right combination was not right. I’m a firm believer in your best batters batting up front,” Pietersen said during his post-match analysis on Star Sports.
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel echoed similar concerns, suggesting that the team could have benefitted from sending Dhruv Jurel higher up the order.
“Left and right combination is alright till No. 4, but after that, you should send your best batters. Jurel is a proper batsman. He could have constructed a big innings," Patel commented.
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Parthiv Patel also criticized the slow start from all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who ended up scoring 40 off 35 balls in Rajkot but couldn’t finish the game for India. “One cannot take 20-25 balls to get set in a T20I. I understand taking your time, but you have to keep rotating the strike,” he added.
Aakash Chopra, another former India cricketer, raised his concerns over the team’s selection strategy, particularly about the spinners. Despite Gautam Gambhir’s focus on fielding four spinners, Chopra felt that India did not use them effectively.
Impact Shorts
View All“You are saying you want four spinners. Let me agree that you need four spinners, but are you bowling 16 overs of spin? You don’t do that as well. You got Washington [Sundar] to bowl only one over. You cannot play someone for one over. It is bizarre,” Chopra remarked.
Aakash Chopra also questioned India’s selection choices, specifically in the fast-bowling department. “I don’t think we are selecting the right team. Arshdeep Singh was playing earlier and Hardik Pandya was there with him. Then Mohammed Shami played and Hardik was there with him too. It’s not that this team doesn’t have any other fast bowlers, but you don’t want to play any fast bowler,” Chopra added.
With their victory in the third T20I on Tuesday, England bounced back in the series, narrowing India’s lead to 2-1. Two matches remain, with the fourth T20I scheduled for Friday and the final game set for Sunday. England will aim to level the series in the upcoming match, while India will be looking to secure a 3-1 lead and take an unassailable advantage.
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