England vs India 2018: 3 team selection blunders committed by India
India's long summer on English soil started on a positive note as Virat Kohli's men won the T20I series, and then registered a thumping victory in the first ODI. However, that has been the end of good memories as Joe Root & Co. decided to turn on the English sweet chin music.
After sealing the ODI series 2-1, they have got the upper hand in the 5-match Test series. The Three Lions, banking on an exquisite display of swing bowling which was comprised of both experience and exuberance, defeated the visitors by a slim margin of 31 runs.
The common opinion amongst the Indian cricket enthusiasts is that team selection blunders cost the team dearly. Let us have a look at three such team selection blunders:
#3 KL Rahul instead of Cheteshwar Pujara
Before the match, it seemed that number 3 of the Indian batting order belongs to only one person - Cheteshwar Pujara. Pujara's form has been on the downslope recently, but he is coming off fresh after a county stint, which might have made him more accustomed to the challenging English conditions than any other batsman in the Indian team.
But Kohli shocked everyone when he announced the playing XI. The Test specialist was overlooked to accommodate a batsman with what is considered a more 'positive' intent, KL Rahul. That dosage of positiveness backfired, as in two innings, Rahul could only stand in the crease for 26 deliveries, collecting 17 runs from them.
Pujara, with all the criticism he has received recently for his poor run of form, provides stern resilience and a will to not throw his wicket away, something the Indian batting order is lacking at the moment.