AB De Villiers Gives Blunt Verdict on India Coach Gautam Gambhir Amid Backlash: 'Can't Really Play Around Too Much'

Ind vs SA: India coach Gautam Gambhir has been facing the ire since the Test series whitewash against South Africa. His tactics of consistently chopping and changing has also been criticised. Former South African cricketer AB De Villiers, who understands the culture of India cricket, gave his verdict on Gambhir. Claiming that he does not have a problem with a floating lineup, ABD, as he is popularly known, also reckoned that one cannot play around too much with players' roles. 

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'Can't really play around too much'

"I do agree with him to a certain extent. I've always enjoyed a floating batting lineup in ODIs. But it's a fine line because you can't really play around too much with the players' roles. It's the top three, four to six, and then your tailenders who can hold the bat. It's almost like three segments, and you can really be creative with that. Play with right and left-hand combinations and certain situations of the game," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

He also went on to praise the depth in Indian cricket and the consistency in T20I cricket. 

"It has been incredible, especially for a T20 format. It's the most volatile format of the three, and to have that kind of consistency tells you there must be something going on that's heading in the right direction. I think it's got to do with the depth of Indian cricket," said De Villiers.

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Can India Win 2nd T20I? 

After thrashing the Proteas by 101 runs in the opening T20I in Cuttack, Team India would like to carry the winning momentum forward and win the second game in Chandigarh. The second game promises to be a cracker as the visiting side is expected to come hard after an embarrassing loss.