IND vs PAK: "Deepak Hooda Could Have Been Used Against A Left-hander Nawaz" - Rajkumar Sharma

Deepak Hooda got a chance to play for the first time in the Asia Cup 2022 against Pakistan after the injury of Ravindra Jadeja. Cricket pundits expected that he would bowl one or two overs as the sixth bowling option, but he did not bowl in the match.

Virat Kohli’s childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma says Deepak Hooda should have been given a few overs during the team’s Super 4 match against Pakistan on Sunday, September 4.

Sharma stated that when Mohammad Nawaz came in to bat at No. 4, Indian captain Rohit Sharma should have brought in the part-time off-spinner. He feels that Hooda would have troubled the left-hander because he has enough experience bowling in T20 cricket.

Rohit Sharma Lacks Faith in Hooda Bowling: Rajkumar Sharma

During a discussion on India News Sports on Monday, the former Delhi cricketer felt that the skipper lacks faith in Hooda’s bowling talents, as he was not selected as the sixth bowling option in the match.

“Deepak Hooda was added to the side as he could be a sixth bowling option. He should have been given a couple of overs when Mohammad Nawaz was batting well.”

“This indicates that the captain doesn’t have enough faith in him as a bowler, or maybe he didn’t think that Hooda could have been used against a left-hander. He would have been a useful option as he has bowled quite a lot in T20 cricket.”

Nawaz’s innings helped Pakistan win the game. The southpaw’s quickfire 42-ball knock was crucial in the Men in Green’s thrilling five-wicket victory over India.

Why Team Still Went With Two Leg Spinners Despite Having Ashwin – Rajkumar Sharma

The senior coach questioned India’s decision to field two leg spinners despite the presence of Ravichandran Ashwin in the team, and he went on to say that India didn’t have many options when Avesh Khan was ruled out due to a fever. He also questioned the team’s decision to have only three seamers in their lineup.

“India were forced to go with this lineup against Pakistan as India didn’t have a replacement for a pacer. It is a big fault of the team management and the selectors that they didn’t add an extra fast bowler to the squad. We had Ravichandran Ashwin but still went ahead with two leg spinners.”

Rohit Sharma and his team must win their upcoming match against Sri Lanka to keep their hopes alive in the Asia Cup 2022. This match will be played on September 6 at the Dubai International Stadium.

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