Team India suffered another series defeat under Gautam Gambhir as England beat them by 27 runs in the third ODI at Lord’s to seal the series 2-1.
While Rohit Sharma’s magnificent century grabbed the headlines, India’s bowling and selection decisions once again came under the questions.
After winning the toss, England posted a huge total of 387/3. Ben Duckett smashed 141, Jacob Bethell made 91 and Joe Root remained unbeaten on 74.
India simply had no answers with the ball. The biggest question is why the team management opted for four seamers on a slow Lord’s pitch while leaving out a proven match winner like Kuldeep Yadav.
India’s chase began perfectly. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill stitched a 147 run opening stand before Gill departed for 77.
Rohit then added another 113 runs with Virat Kohli, raising hopes of a historic chase. Rohit scored a brilliant 138, while Kohli contributed 74.
Once Rohit fell, the chase completely lost momentum. Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and the lower middle order failed to build on the platform created by the top three.
India eventually finished on 360/7 despite having three big scores from their senior batters.
The defeat raises serious questions for the team management. Rohit, Gill and Kohli delivered when it mattered, but the bowlers leaked 387 runs and the middle order failed under pressure.
Was dropping Kuldeep Yadav the right call? Can India continue to ignore a proven match winner while expecting the batters to chase nearly 400 every game?
Those are the questions Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar must answer after another disappointing series loss.
