In the aftermath of India's loss in the World Cup final, cricket pundits and legendary players have offered various analyses on the reasons behind the defeat. Ricky Ponting, Nasser Hussain, and Harbhajan Singh believe that the pitch strategy in Ahmedabad backfired, while Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag point to the sluggish partnership between KL Rahul and Virat Kohli as a decisive factor.

However, Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Akram introduced a fresh perspective as they criticized a crucial move made by Rohit Sharma in the final against Australia. Pat Cummins dismissed Virat Kohli, and according to the original batting order, Suryakumar Yadav was supposed to come in at No. 6. This had been India's consistent lineup throughout the competition.

Expressing their surprise at the move, Gambhir and Akram questioned the decision, particularly in the absence of Hardik Pandya. Akram stated, "I mean, he is playing purely as a batter there. I could have understood the move if Hardik was there in the lineup."

Gambhir further raised doubts about the team management's confidence in Suryakumar Yadav as a No. 6 batter in ODIs, suggesting that if they were not confident, they should have chosen someone else. Gambhir emphasized that sending Suryakumar at No. 6 could have allowed him to play aggressive cricket, aligning with his natural style, rather than adopting a defensive approach with the awareness that there were no recognized batters left in the lineup.

He pointed out that the mindset of a player changes based on the following batters, and had Suryakumar known that Jadeja was next, he might have approached the game differently. Gambhir concluded that if there was a lack of confidence in Suryakumar at No. 6, the team management should have considered alternative options.

Tags :Rohit SharmaGautam GambhirWasim AkramCricket NewsSuryakumar YadavICC World Cup 2023India Vs Australia