Former Indian opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticized the team management for promoting Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube in the second T20I against Australia at the MCG on Friday. Rana, who batted at number seven, scored 35 runs off 33 balls, with the help of three fours and one six.
Srikkanth said Rana could not rotate the strike regularly and thus in-form Abhishek Sharma could not get more deliveries to face. Sharma scored a brilliant knock of 68 runs off 37 balls but the other batters failed to deliver and thus India was skittled out for only 125.
Meanwhile, Shivam Dube was dismissed after managing only four runs in two balls after he was caught brilliantly by Australian wicket-keeper Josh Inglis while facing Xavier Bartlett.
Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube Channel, “You are demoralising the Dube’s ability. And is Harshit Rana such a big player? He scored 35 but it was a scratchy knock. Only that one six was good other than a square cut. At 35 off 33, he ate up too many deliveries. The problem is Abhishek Sharma missed out on the strike a lot because of Harshit Rana. So many times he took a single off the last ball of the over. In that partnership of 47 deliveries, Harshit Rana played 33 and only 14 for Abhishek Sharma.”
“Because of this, Abhishek Sharma did not get the strike and lost his flow also. So what’s the use? People can say he scored 35 and it was invaluable. It was not an invaluable 35. He was just there and hit that one six. He was just surviving and escaping otherwise. Ultimately it’s the captain’s call. Gambhir can only suggest. So not sure whose decision this was but it was a very odd decision.”
The former Indian skipper reckons team’s think tank is demoralising Dube’s confidence as they are not giving him a proper role in the team.
“It is unclear whether Dube is playing as a batter, bowler or fielder. In the end, they’ve made him like a nobody with this move. It’s not right because you are demoralizing the player’s confidence. It’s not good for Dube and the Indian Cricket team. It looked like the Indian management thought Dube was the Impact Player in the IPL,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
The third T20I between India and Australia will be played at Hobart on Sunday.
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