New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has called for accountability from head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management following India’s 2-1 ODI series defeat to England, questioning the side’s preparation for the 2027 World Cup and criticising the frequent changes to the playing XI.
Speaking after England clinched the series with a 27-run win in the third ODI at Lord’s, Srikkanth said India’s performances against stronger opposition should be the benchmark rather than victories over lower-ranked teams.
“They’ll win a T20 World Cup in between, they’ll win a Champions Trophy, and then lavish praise on Gambhir. Whereas, Gambhir has to be held accountable. The team management has to be accountable. They’ll beat Zimbabwe, then beat Sri Lanka and the West Indies and then they will start saying that India is back in form. If you consider Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and West Indies games as crucial series, there’s no scope for the team. Unfortunately, they’ll keep doing this,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth also expressed concern over India’s ODI planning, pointing out that the limited number of matches before the next World Cup leaves little room for experimentation.
“After this, there aren’t many one-day matches. There are only a handful of one-day matches. After that, there will be the Australia series, IPL and the World Cup. Honestly speaking, this is not the way to prepare by chopping and changing. Shubman Gill himself gave a statement saying what can we do if there are so many constant injuries. Every now and then the players are injured,” he added.
The former opener was equally critical of India’s batting order during the Lord’s chase, arguing that KL Rahul should have been promoted instead of being pushed down to No. 6.
“Will anyone send KL Rahul at No. 6 when chasing such a huge total? That guy has won you so many matches for you. Just like you screwed up Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, now you are screwing up KL Rahul. Is Rahul a No.6 or 7 batter? This is gross injustice. His body language also looked like someone nervous yesterday,” the former India captain opined.
Srikkanth believed Rahul’s experience made him the ideal candidate to partner Virat Kohli after Rohit Sharma’s dismissal, rather than arriving at the crease when the required rate had already gone beyond reach.
“India needed someone to do the Jos Buttler role. That’s where Kishan and Shreyas Iyer got out right away. But if Rahul had gone in at No.4, he would have complimented Virat Kohli like they did a few times in the 2023 World Cup. Rahul is capable of accelerating easily. Instead, they sent him out to bat when the match was over. How was he possibly going to win the game needing 15 per over with Axar Patel,” he questioned.
India fell 27 runs short while chasing 388 at Lord’s despite Rohit Sharma’s brilliant 138, handing England the three-match ODI series 2-1.
–IANS
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