Nehra Criticises Gambhir For Overlooking New Talent For Rohit, Virat

India faced a setback in their second ODI against Sri Lanka, losing by 32 runs. This defeat has put them in a must-win situation to level the 3-match series. The Indian batting lineup has faltered twice after promising starts in both matches.

The first match ended in a tie after a solid 75-run opening partnership. In the second ODI, the Indian openers managed to score 97 runs together. However, the team was eventually bowled out for 208 while chasing a target of 241.

India has fielded the same eleven players in both games. Now, they face the dilemma of whether to make any changes for the series-decider on Wednesday, August 7.

Ashish Nehra, a former teammate of captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir, shared his thoughts on this issue. When asked about potential changes after Sri Lanka took a crucial 1-0 lead, Nehra criticised Gambhir for focusing on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma instead of trying new players.

Reports suggest that senior batters made themselves available for the series at Gambhir's request. This tour is Gambhir's first assignment as India's head coach, and he wanted to spend time with Kohli and Rohit.

Nehra's Perspective

Nehra believes that Gambhir could have waited since he already knows these star players well. He suggested that this series could have been an opportunity to test India's bench strength.

"The next series India play is 2-3 months later, a rare thing for us. So for players like Rohit and Kohli...I feel there was a better chance of giving opportunities to other players during this series. I know Gambhir is a new coach, and he wants to spend some time with the experienced players, but it isn't like he doesn't know the two of them," Ashish Nehra said on Sony Sports.

Potential Changes

"He is not a foreign coach who wants to get his equation right with Kohli and Rohit. So it was a good opportunity for him to try out the new players, and Rohit and Kohli could play when the home season begins. I'm not saying it is a wrong approach, but it could have been one of the strategies in this series," he added.

Players like Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant, Harshit Rana, and Khaleel Ahmed haven't featured in either of the two ODIs yet. It remains to be seen if India will make changes to their playing eleven for the third and final ODI.

Typically, teams test their bench strength after securing an unassailable lead in a series. However, given India's current situation, they might need to rethink their strategy.

The upcoming match will be crucial for India as they aim to level the series against Sri Lanka. Fans are eager to see if any new faces will be included in the playing eleven.