India look to stay afloat in T20I series against England

Faced with selection dilemmas and struggling to adapt in hostile conditions, the Shreyas Iyer-led India have their task cut out when they take on England in the series-deciding fourth T20 International here on Thursday.

The biggest selection conundrum surrounds Sanju Samson, who was dropped from the second and third T20Is in favour of 15-year-old swashbuckler Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The teenager has not done any worse or better than the rest of the team so far and given that the side is trailing 0-2 right now, India head coach Gautam Gambhir has not ruled out Samson’s return. 

In a matter of four months, Samson’s career has swung from darkness to dizzying heights, only to return to square one.

While it would be unfair to blame skipper Iyer, who is chasing his first victory since being elevated to captaincy in a surprise decision during his comeback series, the onus lies heavily on the coaching think-tank led by Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee. It remains to be seen if they can avoid the ignominy of another series loss. The tactical calls made by the team management have not gone down well with the fans too.

Chants of “We Want Sanju” echoed outside Trent Bridge stadium as the Gambhir-led contingent proceeded to the team bus following their crushing 125-run defeat in the third T20I on Wednesday.

If sidelining their T20 World Cup-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav immediately after the historic triumph drew immense criticism, the decision to ignore hero of the same tournament, Samson, has now fuelled another public backlash.

The shocking capitulation at Trent Bridge has also laid bare the team’s flaws and the management’s lack of a clear vision. The batters failed miserably against a fast and furious pace attack led by Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue, who blew India away by sharing seven wickets between them, including the entire top five.