Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra criticised the team management for dropping Nitish Kumar Reddy and leaving Mohammed Siraj out of the playing XI for the second ODI against West Indies as well at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on September 30. Chasing 406, Rohit Sharma scored 101 off 75 balls, while captain Shubman Gill smashed a historic unbeaten 223 off 133 balls as India registered their highest-ever chase in ODIs, winning by eight wickets with 39 balls to spare.
In a video on his YouTube channel (Aakash Chopra), Aakash Chopra said: “Nitish Kumar Reddy needs to be prepared, so how will he be prepared? He won’t be prepared this way, that you play him in one match, he gets hit in the first over, bowls well in the last over, which is very good. But what next? In the next match, you dropped him. So, there’s no way confidence will come from anywhere. You have to make him bowl and play matches, only then will he gain some confidence. So, I completely disagreed with what you were doing.”
“He (Reddy) was bowling a lot, bowling a lot, and actually Mohammed Siraj was also bowling a lot. So that means they were fit, that means they were available, that means you didn’t play them. So that was a tactical decision you took, and I am thinking, why did you do that? Like, what are they trying to do?” he added.
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However, Aakash Chopra also questioned the team management’s decision to leave Mohammed Siraj out for two back-to-back games. He added that he’s baffled by the call given the pacer’s great record in the format, especially with Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana not in the team as well.
“After that, you didn’t play Siraj. And I’m thinking that Siraj is such a good bowler that he should be in the 15. I mean, you decided he’s worthy of the 15, right? Then why isn’t he worthy of the 11? I mean, what is stopping him? I am slightly baffled by this. I’m baffled as to why this is happening. Because I tried to explain to myself, why could this be happening? His ODI numbers are very good. He used to perform really well before. I remember the Asia Cup final. I remember that one game in Thiruvananthapuram. He used to take wickets,” he added.
“This guy has done everything. Just now, for the T20 World Cup, you called him from home to play the first match. He took three wickets there as well. I mean, he’s done everything and more. He plays white-ball cricket. So, he’s worthy enough for you to keep him in the team, but you can’t field him in the 11. At a time when Bumrah is not there, Harshit Rana is not there, Arshdeep Singh is not there, then there is a problem, sir. So, in my opinion, the Indian team management is making a slight mistake here because you probably won’t be able to prepare the team this way,” he concluded.
