Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh lashed out at India’s experimentation in the third T20I against South Africa on Tuesday in Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. South Africa registered a clinical 49-run victory over India in the dead rubber to avoid the whitewash. India gave rest to their star batters KL Rahul and Virat Kohli for the final match and make some changes in their batting line-up to give some game time to Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant, who have not gotten a chance to bat much in the first two games.
However, India missed the services of Rahul and Kohli while chasing the mammoth 228-run target. Pant, who opened the innings in absence of Rahul, played a couple of magnificent sixes but failed to convert it into a big score. He was dismissed for 27 off 14 balls. While Shreyas Iyer got a chance to bat a number 3 but wasn’t able to maximise the opportunity and was dismissed on just 1.
Ganesh was very critical of India’s experimentation and said it didn’t make any sense as Rahul and Kohli are certainties in the line-up for T20 World Cup.
“So the experiment has backfired. Wonder what India achieved by playing Iyer and Pant in this game in place of Rahul and Kohli who’re certainties in the Xl for the WC. DK is the first choice keeper. So this experiment technically made no sense #DoddaMathu #CricketTwitter #INDvSA,” he tweeted.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team is to leave for Australia on October 6, two days after the conclusion of the ongoing home T20I series against South Africa and will have a preparatory camp ahead of the much-anticipated T20 World Cup.
