"Why not Ravichandran Ashwin?" - Simon Doull slams India's decision to send Mohammed Siraj as nightwatchman on Day 1 of 3rd IND-NZ Test 2024
Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull criticized India for opting to go with their No.11 Mohammed Siraj as the night watchman at the waning stages on Day 1 (November 1) of the third Test in Mumbai.
After restricting the Blackcaps to 235 in their first essay, India got off to a positive start before skipper Rohit Sharma fell for 18 in the seventh over. However, youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill continued the momentum and helped India reach 78/1 in 17 overs with two overs left until stumps.
Unfortunately, the former threw his wicket away with an ungainly reverse sweep off the second ball of the following overs, prompting India to send in Siraj as the nightwatchman.
Yet, he lasted only the lone delivery after being trapped LBW off his first ball for a duck.
The decision did not go down well with Simon Doull, who slammed the Indian management for not sending a more accomplished lower-order batter like Ravichandran Ashwin.
"Well, I don't like the term night watchman being used for a tail end or a lower-order play. Why not Ravichandran Ashwin? If you're going to have a player out in the middle that has to be able to play, you can't just send a bowler out there for the sake of sending a bowler out there. If it was going to be anyone that had to be Ashwin because he could actually bat. He'll get through the night and then he'll come tomorrow and he'll score you runs because he's good enough to do that," Doull said on Sports18.
To make matters worse, Siraj also used up one of India's three unsuccessful DRS reviews to no avail. His dismissal sunk India from 78/1 to 78/3 in two balls with an over and a half still left in the day.
"Send in a guy who can play please" - Simon Doull
Simon Doull called for a batter capable of negating the spin threat to be sent out as nightwatchman over someone who bats predominantly at No.10 or 11.
Siraj's first-ball dismissal had a ripple effect on the rest of the day as Virat Kohli, who walked in at No.5 ran himself out in the final over before stumps for a six-ball four.
"In tricky conditions when the ball is turning, to send a player out there who generally bats 10 or 11 and is not proficient against spin in turning conditions, I thought it was a big mistake first and foremost. If Virat Kohli, he's not going to ccome out, and I totally understand it. There are a lot of batters around the world that do that would prefer to have a night watchman, would prefer to be out there tomorrow. But send in a guy who can play please," said Doull.
Team India finished the day in trouble at 86/4, trailing New Zealand's first-innings total by 149 runs.
Rohit Sharma's men have already surrendered the series, losing the first two Tests in Bengaluru and Pune.