'Why Reinvent The Wheel?': Gautam Gambhir's Experimental Tactics Under Scrutiny As Team India Sees Unusual Position Changes

Team India has been enjoying a pretty successful run in ODIs and with the ICC Champions Trophy approaching soon, all the participating teams have been putting in the efforts to gear up for the mega tournament. India's performance would remain under the radar as Gautam Gambhir and his unconventional methods as head coach have taken center stage. While Team India has been dominant against England in the ODI series, some of the Indian batters have been entering an unusual position. Criticism galore over Gambhir's unconventional strategy as the head coach receives criticism over his experiments.

Head Coach Gautam Gambhir's Strategic Changes With Team India's Combination Faces Criticism 

The India-England ODIs saw wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul being selected over Rishabh Pant for stumper duties, which caused a huge fuss. KL was spotted batting at number six on the pitch, which is a very low position for him as he usually bats at number five and brings promising numbers. During the first two games, bowling all-rounder Axar Patel was elevated to Rahul's position. The unusual move sparked criticism, as an anonymous former selector criticized the move as he believes KL functions better at the number five spot.  

"KL has been outstanding at No.5 for India. He scored nearly 1300 runs (1259)and enjoys a strike-rate of near 100 (95.45) with an average close to 60. These are exceptional numbers and why do you want to reinvent the wheel?

"If you want batting till No. 8, you have got to play multi-skilled players and if Axar is playing then Pant can't play. And Axar will play in these conditions. Hence not just it is an unfortunate situation for Pant, who is not finding a slot in the side, it is also going to be tough for Rahul as his game isn't suited for four drop," a former national selector expressed while speaking to PTI.

Also Read: BCCI To Determine Jasprit Bumrah’s Fate for ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Deadline Announced | Reports

Ravi Shastri Frustrated Over Dubious Strategy By Team India

The combination conundrum has left former Indian cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri perplexed, as he expressed his thoughts about a specialized top-order batsman like Rahul entering at number six rather than bowling all-rounder Axar Patel, who was moved up to number five for the first two games.

"India would be thinking about the composition in the next game and Champions Trophy. There is Rishabh Pant sitting on the bench. There are certain questions to answer," Shastri said on air for host broadcasters Star Sports.

Also Read: 'If Rohit Sharma Clicks, There's No Doubt': Ex-India Skipper Drops Massive Prediction For Team India At Champions Trophy

[With PTI Inputs]