Manoj Tiwary questions India's batting-order changes against Afghanistan in the 2nd ODI
Team India secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series by crushing Afghanistan by 170 runs in the second ODI held at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium. However, the Indian team made significant changes to the batting order during the match, a move that drew considerable criticism. Yashasvi Jaiswal was included in the playing XI as an opener, which resulted in captain Shubman Gill coming out to bat at number three.
Jaiswal, however, was dismissed for just 4 runs in the second over. Ishan Kishan was sent to bat at number four, pushing Shreyas Iyer down to number five. Gill (154) and Ishan Kishan (125) scored magnificent centuries, propelling the Indian team to a total of 402 runs. Rohit Sharma scored 48 runs, while Shreyas Iyer contributed 26. Apart from them, however, all other Indian batsmen failed miserably, and the team was bowled out in 49.5 overs. This marked the first time in ODI history that a team was bowled out despite crossing the 400-run mark.
The decision to shuffle the batting order has sparked significant criticism. Former cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes this creates confusion among players regarding their batting positions and complicates the task of selecting the playing XI for the management. He stated clearly that altering the batting order deprives players of clarity, preventing them from playing their natural game.
"It will just create a headache for the future and nothing else, if they open with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma and demote Shubman Gill. Now, if he scores runs there, he will be thinking, should I go back to the top or not?" Tiwary said.
"So, I have no idea what they are trying to do at all. I see a massive lack of clarity here, but it feels good to see Jaiswal play, because he deserves to play all formats. If Rohit Sharma somehow doesn't fire today, then there will be a lot of mental pressure from the outside," he added.
The Indian team has already won the series and will be aiming for a clean sweep by winning the final ODI. The INDIA vs Afghanistan third ODI is scheduled to be played on June 21 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. It will be interesting to see whether the Indian team fields the same playing XI for this match or makes changes to field a new lineup.
