ENG vs IND 2018: Team Management And Chief Selector Should Together Pick The Playing Eleven: Sunil Gavaskar

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has batted for the presence of the chief selector for overseas tours in the wake of India’s poor performance in the ongoing England vs India tour.

England thumped India by an innings and 159 in the second Test to go two nil up in the series. Despite the first day being washed out and the game being marred by several other rain-interruptions, England wrapped it up inside four days.

In the first innings, India were all out for just 107 with James Anderson taking 5 for 20. In reply, England scored a mammoth 396 for 7 to put the game beyond India’s reach. And the visitors did little to challenge England.

Trailing by a huge 289 runs, draw was the only option for India. However, it took England less than two sessions to bundle up the world number one Test side. India never looked in contention to save the game and were all out for just 130. Overall, India batted less the 83 overs in the game.

What made things tough for India was their poor selection in the playing eleven. In pacer-friendly conditions, India included two spinners. And the move badly backfired. Both R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav conceded over 4 runs per over and failed to pick up a single wicket. After the game, skipper Virat Kohli had admitted that the team got the selection wrong.

Well, it was not the first time the Indian team management has made serious blunders with their selection calls in recent times. In Cape Town and Centurion, Ajinkya Rahane was dropped in favour of Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, Shikhar Dhawan got the axe after only one Test in South Africa and then again in England.

And Gavaskar now wants BCCI to step in and get the Chairman of selectors to be part of the tour selection committee.

“I know there are some selectors (Sarandeep Singh and Devang Gandhi) in England. But BCCI should send the Chairman of selectors. The team management and chief selector should together pick the playing eleven. This will ease the pressure on that front from Virat. Because don’t forget your playing eleven choice for the next test in Nottingham will be critical to keep the series alive else we will have to forget about it,” he told India Today.

India have now lost four of their five away Tests this year and Gavaskar feels there is just too much pressure on Kohli as captain.

“When the team is not doing well, even if you are scoring, there is pressure on you as a captain. Virat will be facing the same pressure. Particularly because there have been questions asked on his selection of playing eleven in each game. So there is more pressure,” Gavaskar reasoned.

“Your selection in the last five away Tests have proven to be wrong. You just won the Johannesburg Test but four Tests have been lost. That’s why to help Virat, not to constrain him, you need the chief selector there. Because sometimes you want to share your views on selection with selectors. It’s after all the selectors who have given you the squad so it would be better if there is consultation between selectors and the team management,” he added.