Former Cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned India’s playing 11 in the third T20I against England where the hosts suffered a 26-run defeat. He pointed out that Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar were included in the playing 11, but weren’t used to their full potential.
England set India a 172 target in the third game of the five-match series in Rajkot on Tuesday. Jurel batted at no.8 while Sundar bowled an over and scored six runs off 15 deliveries at no.6.
The former India opener also baffled whether Suryakumar-led India are playing the right combination.
“I have got a question. Are we playing the right team? What is Washington’s role in this team? Why do you need to play Dhruv Jurel if you are neither going to get him to keep, of course, nor bat him in the top seven? He came to bat at No. 8. Aren’t you surprised?” he said.
He also questioned whether India should have played an additional bowler as Jurel was used virtually as a specialist fielder.
“If Dhruv Jurel is going to bat so low, that’s not right. How can you play DJ at No. 8? He doesn’t keep because Sanju (Samson) does that.”
“He fields well and takes good catches, but he is not playing as a fielder. If you are sending Dhruv Jurel at No. 8, might as well play a bowler,” he elaborated.
He also noted that India have refrained from playing a second specialist seamer in first three T20Is.
“I don’t think we are selecting the right team. Arshdeep Singh was playing earlier and Hardik Pandya was there with him. Then Mohammed Shami played and Hardik was there with him too.”
“It’s not that this team doesn’t have any other fast bowlers, but you don’t want to play any fast bowler,” Aakash Chopra said.
Chopra also questioned why Washington Sundar was given a solitary over if the hosts wanted to play four spinners.
“You are saying you want four spinners. Let me agree that you need four spinners, but are you bowling 16 overs of spin? You don’t do that as well. You got Washington to bowl only one over. You cannot play someone for one over. It is bizarre,” Aakash Chopra observed.
The Men in Blues leads the series 2-1 and India will be looking to seal the series win when the face England in the fourth T20I on January 31 at MCA Stadium in Pune.
