"It was a huge mistake to give Umran Malik the ball in the death overs" - Wasim Jaffer

Former opening batter Wasim Jaffer feels that KL Rahul's ploy to introduce Umran Malik in the death overs during the second ODI backfired. The speedster, who was virtually unplayable in his first spell, ended up conceding 28 runs off his last two overs to finish with lukewarm bowling figures of 2-58.

Team India were hit for 68 runs off the final five overs, allowing Bangladesh to post 271-7. Mehidy Hasan Miraz pounced on poor death bowling from the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, and Shardul Thakur to become only the second player to score an ODI ton as a No. 8 batter.

It is to be noted that Deepak Chahar only bowled three overs with the new ball before injury prevented him from bowling further.

Innings Break!

Bangladesh post a total of 271/7 on the board.

Three wickets for Washington and two wickets apiece for Umran Malik and Siraj.

Scorecard - bit.ly/BANvIND-2NDODI #BANvIND https://t.co/B1hyZOdMas

Opining that Rahul should have completed Axar Patel's quota of overs in the second ODI, Jaffer said on ESPN Cricinfo:

"It was a huge mistake to give Umran Malik the ball in the death overs in the second ODI. We have seen this before in T20s as well that the batters tend to like the extra pace on offer at the back end."

Jaffer continued:

Even Axar Patel not completing his quota of overs was a mistake, we have seen how Shakib Al Hasan and Nasum Ahmed have been effective."

Axar bowled seven overs in the contest, conceding 40 runs with no wickets in return. In stark contrast, the other spinners in the game were prolific with their returns.

Team India's second spinner Washington Sundar was the pick of the spinners after returning with impressive figures of 3-37. Bangladesh spinners, on the other hand, claimed five wickets during India's run chase.

"I feel chasing is a better option for India" - Wasim Jaffer

Over the course of the series, Team India have lost both tosses and have been asked to bat first as well as field first.

However, the Men in Blue have ended up on the losing side on both occasions. Despite the margins of the defeat being nominal, the manner of the losses has been alarming.

💬 💬 "Rohit’s courage with the bat was phenomenal."

Head Coach Rahul Dravid lauds #TeamIndia captain @ImRo45 for his brave fight despite an injury in the 2⃣nd #BANvIND ODI. https://t.co/sZecPgpp6u

Stating that Team India should look to chase first should they win the toss in the final ODI, Jaffer said:

"I think India will look to chase if they win the toss, the wicket gets a little better in the second half under the lights, and even the dew factor may come into play."

Jaffer continued:

"We have seen that the Bangladesh top order has been under pressure, they have not performed that well. So, I feel chasing is a better option for India."

Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, the venue for the final ODI, has seen chasing teams win 15 out of the 23 ODIs that have been played here so far. Moreover, the team batting second have won six out the last eight ODIs at the venue.

Team India will face Bangladesh in the final ODI on Saturday, December 10. The hosts have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and are on the lookout to claim a historic whitewash over their neighbors.

How should Team India address their death bowling woes? Let us know what you think.

Also Read: "Indian bowlers have proven to be quite expensive in the last 20 overs or so" - Wasim Jaffer