India Took Sri Lanka A Bit Lightly In The Third ODI- Aakash Chopra Questions India's Tactics Of Making Six Changes

Former India batsman Aakash Chopra opined that India got complacent with their mindset going into the third ODI against Sri Lanka on Friday. The visitors made as many as six changes to their line-up, which included maiden ODI caps to five players – Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, Rahul Chahar, and Chetan Sakariya.

Aakash Chopra said India took Sri Lanka lightly after defeating them in the first two ODIs and make half-a-dozen changes, but that move backfired as the hosts won by 3 wickets.

“When you make six changes to your team, complacency is the mindset. It seemed Team India took Sri Lanka a bit lightly in the third ODI, having already won the series. Although the match was important for the debutants, collectively the group seemed to believe that ‘we will win the game easily as Sri Lanka are a weak side.’ But there is a lesson for Team India in the defeat – do not take any opponent lightly,” Aakash Chopra said in his YouTube video.

No logic behind resting Deepak Chahar: Aakash Chopra

None of the Indian bowlers – barring all-rounder Hardik Pandya – from the second ODI featured in the third. Even Man of the Match Deepak Chahar was rested, which has got Aakash Chopra perplexed. He pointed out that Chahar isn’t a regular like some other Indian stars, and believed the pacer should be given the maximum game time possible.

The commentator further questioned whether Kuldeep Yadav, who is not a T20 regular, should have been continued as well.

“India made six changes, included five debutants and changed the entire bowling line-up. Not a single bowler from the previous game played in the third ODI. 

“What was the bowlers’ fault? Kuldeep Yadav is not going to play in the T20Is, so why wasn’t he retained? Navdeep Saini and Chetan Sakariya got a chance but there was no logic behind resting Deepak Chahar.

“It is not that he had played a lot of ODIs. One can understand when you rest a player who has played a lot of matches like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Shami. But Chahar has only just started playing for India.

“Chahar must be wondering why he was ‘rested’. He was the man of the match in the previous game. So he deserved another opportunity. The pacer was another big positive for Team India.

“He picked up two wickets each in the first two games and that too with the old ball. He also scored an unbeaten 69, which almost single-handedly won Team India the second match. Unless he was unfit, he should have played,” the former opener added.

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