Sydney: Team India failed to level the three-match ODI series against Australia on Sunday and former Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir wasn’t pleased with skipper Virat Kohli’s, who gave pacer Jasprit Bumrah only two overs with the new ball.
Australia defeated India by 51 runs in the second ODI of the three-match series on Sunday. With this win, Australia gained a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match series.
Indian bowlers were once again made to toil hard and as a result, the hosts posted a big total of 389/4.
Gambhir underlined the importance of picking up early wickets and criticised Kohli for his ‘poor captaincy’ in the second ODI.
“I can’t understand the captaincy to be honest. We kept talking about how important is to take wickets upfront if we have to stop this kind of batting line-up and then you make your premier bowler bowl two overs. Normally, in a One Day game probably there are three spells of 4-3-3 overs. Or probably the maximum is four overs,” ESPNCricinfo Gambhir as saying on its post-match show.
“But if you stop your premier fast bowler just by bowling two overs upfront with the news, I can’t understand that kind of captaincy. I probably can’t even explain that captaincy. It is not T20 cricket. I probably can’t understand the reason to be honest because that was poor captaincy,” he added.
Gambhir also pointed out that the lack of a sixth bowling option is hurting Team India and said all-rounders like Washington Sundar or Shivam Dube could have been tried.
“They could have given someone like Washington Sundar or Shivam Dube or whoever was there in the squad to play the next game and see how they go into the one-day format. But if you don’t have anyone in Australia then it is a selection error as well,” said Gambhir.
“Unless and until you don’t judge someone you will never be able to find how good he is at the international level. India has not taken those options to Australia and those might come back to hurt them big time,” he added.
The two teams will lock horns in the dead rubber on Wednesday in Canberra.