I Was Surprised By The Amount Of Changes Made To The Indian XI For The Final ODI - VVS Laxman Asks For More Consistency In Selection
Published - 25 Jul 2021, 06:06 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:50 AM
Former India batsman VVS Laxman revealed he was left surprised by the number of changes – six – which India made in the third ODI against Sri Lanka. After winning the series in the first two ODIs, tour coach Rahul Dravid and captain Shikhar Dhawan decided to give youngsters a chance at the international level – 5 players made their ODI debuts.
The move didn’t fare completely well as the hosts won the match by three wickets. Nonetheless, what VVS Laxman is asking for is consistency in the selection. Man of the Match of the second ODI, Deepak Chahar, was even not included in the final ODI.
“I am not saying this in hindsight or by the result (India lost the third ODI), but I was a bit surprised by the amount of changes made to the Indian XI for the final ODI,” VVS Laxman wrote in his column for TOI.
“Okay, there is a lot of talent within the team and a lot of the rookies got attention, but I would have liked a little more consistency, especially in the bowling department,” he added.
Chahal and Kuldeep should have played the last game: VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman opined that the bowlers should have been included and they need to bowl as much as they can leading up to the T20 World Cup as India doesn’t have any international match after the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
He felt Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who were reunited for the first time in over two years, should have continued in the last ODIs, so should have Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“Someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs overs under his belt to reach maximum pace, as was obvious in the first two games. He would have done better with another 8-9 overs before the game. T20I series, which is all the more important because it is India’s last outing in this format before the World Cup at the end of the year.
“I also believe Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav should have played the last game (third ODI) and extended their good run, because penetrative spin in the middle overs has been a bit of a problem in white-ball cricket for a little while,” the former batsman further added.
