The second match of the India-Australia ODI series is underway in Adelaide, and it’s the same old story. India batted first, but with 30 overs gone and the score just around 150, Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant 73, sharing a 100-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer.
However, after the fall of wickets, Gautam Gambhir made another decision that angered fans.
Axar Patel was promoted to number 5, and KL Rahul was pushed back down the order. This is the second time the coach has done so.
Fans erupted: “Gambhir, why are you so irritated with Rahul?”
People lashed out at Gautam Gambhir on social media. One user wrote,
“What a mess Gautam Gambhir has made of this great Indian cricket team! 😡 First, dropping the explosive left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal for their “princess” Shubman Gill? Then, slotting Axar Patel at No. 5 and shoving KL Rahul even lower down the order – zero logic there!”
This tweet went viral, garnering thousands of likes.
Another quipped in Hindi, “Rohit Gill, Virat Shreyas are all right-handers, but this mdc @GautamGambhir g@mdbhir is the left-right batsman of RR since KL Rahul’s time. This kid from Sur@r is a cricketer fed up with insecurity. This mdc is #INDvsAUS.”
Fans ask why Gambhir is so concerned about the left-right combination when everyone in the top order is right-handed.
One even suggested, “Brother, don’t say anything. To make Axar Patel more experienced, put KL Rahul on the line. Then, if he doesn’t perform well, remove him and make Pant play. Well Done!”
And this trend didn’t stop. A user named Brutal Truth asked,
“Why wasn’t KL Rahul sent up Axar when only 31 overs were bowled and 19 more overs were left? Are we grooming Rahul as some sort of finisher in the ODIs? Not taking anything away from Axar, but he is playing better in the last 10-12 overs. KL needs time to get his eyes in.”
Every tweet echoed the same question – “Mr. Gautam Gambhir, what’s your problem with KL Rahul?”
Questions on Gambhir’s strategy, what about the team’s future?
This decision by Gambhir is not new. In the first match as well, Axar was sent ahead of Rahul. The coach’s reasoning is left-right balance, but fans say this is just an excuse. Pushing a proven performer like Rahul to number 5, especially with 19 overs remaining, is beyond comprehension.
One fan wrote, “What the hell is this strategy of sending Axar Patel before KL Rahul!! He is an opener in Tests and T20s and you’re sending him at number 6, you expect blind slogging from your Test opener? #INDvsAUS #klrahul #bcci #bccipresident”.
Jyotirmay Das said, “By Gautam Gambhir’s logic, Left-right combination isn’t needed in the Top 4. Gambhir knew — whatever you ask KL RAHUL to do, he’ll happily accept it. A Proven Performer at No. 5 now finds himself batting below Axar Patel in ODIs 🤡”.
And Pratap even called the middle order bad, “Axar Patel KL Rahul Washington Sundar NKR worst middle order for ODIs. With this combo India cant win a single series. Bring in Pant and Pandya.#INDvsAUS”.
The match is still underway, but this controversy could dampen the team’s mood. Rohit made a comeback, but fans are disappointed with Gambhir’s decisions.
