The repercussions of India’s unexpected loss against Australia in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final are still echoing in the cricketing world. The defeat has sparked a deluge of analysis from fans and cricket experts alike, each attempting to pinpoint the precise reasons behind Team India’s downfall.
India, led by Rohit Sharma, had showcased an impressive performance throughout the tournament, winning all ten games and spectacularly reaching the final. However, their dream of securing the World Cup title was shattered as Australia, under the leadership of Pat Cummins, clinched a record-extending sixth title with a convincing 6-wicket victory.
In the aftermath of the defeat, cricketing legends like Ricky Ponting, Nasser Hussain, and Harbhajan Singh have offered their insights. Many attribute India’s loss to the decision to play on a used pitch, while others point to the slow partnership between KL Rahul and Virat Kohli as a critical factor.
Adding their voices to the chorus of opinions, Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Akram have raised a crucial question about the team management’s decisions. In a recent interview with Sportskeeda, the duo criticized the choice to demote Suryakumar Yadav to number 7 in the batting order.
“I didn’t understand why Jadeja was sent ahead of Suryakumar Yadav. Why was he demoted to No. 7? That was nowhere the right call for me,” expressed Gautam Gambhir.
Wasim Akram swiftly chimed in, highlighting the peculiar decision considering Jadeja’s role as a specialist batter. He emphasized that such a move might have been justifiable if Hardik Pandya, a designated all-rounder, were part of the lineup.
Akram quickly added: “I mean, he is playing purely as a batter there. I could have understood the move if Hardik was there in the line-up.”
Gautam Gambhir delved further into the team management’s strategy, questioning their confidence in Suryakumar Yadav’s abilities at number 6. The former cricketer and 2011 World Cup winner suggested that demoting Suryakumar to number 7 and playing with the tail forced him to adopt a different, more cautious approach with the bat, resulting in a modest contribution of 18 runs in 28 balls.
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The crux of Gambhir’s argument lies in the team’s lack of faith in Suryakumar at number 6. He emphasized the impact of knowing that the next batsman in line is Jadeja, stating that this knowledge could have influenced Suryakumar’s mindset and approach.
“Imagine if KL Rahul is batting with a certain temp with Kohli, then it makes even more sense to send Suryakumar in and ask him to play aggressive cricket, play his natural cricket because you still have Jadeja. It is very easy to say for an expert to say that Suryakumar struggled. But the player’s mindset is that if he gets out, the next batters are Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj and Kuldeep. However, if he knew that the next batsman in was Jadeja, then he would have had a different mindset. If you were not confident in Suryakumar at No. 6, then you might as well have picked someone else,” said Gautam Gambhir.
