"A massive blunder from the selection committee" - Basit Ali feels absence of two batters cost India ODI series against Sri Lanka

Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali believes the Indian selectors missed the trick by leaving out Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav from the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The hosts defeated the Rohit Sharma-led side 2-0, securing their first ODI series victory over India in 27 years.

Basit opined that the presence of Jaiswal and Suryakumar would have bolstered India's batting lineup. Speaking in his latest YouTube video, the cricketer-turned-expert said (from 6:42):

"This series has shown that Yashasvi Jaiswal is a far better player than Shubman Gill. It was a massive blunder from the selection committee to not pick Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav."

India's batting let them down in the ODI series. They were bowled out for 230 in the tied opening encounter. They were bundled out for 208 and 138 in the subsequent two fixtures.

Barring skipper Rohit Sharma, the remaining frontline batters failed to make a significant impact. Sharma was the leading run-getter of the series, amassing 157 runs across three innings.

---

"They were just looking to hit good-looking shots and fours" - Basit Ali on Indian batters

Basit Ali expressed disappointment over the approach of the Indian batters in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He pointed out that while senior batter Virat Kohli looked off-color, the remaining batters didn't show enough responsibility.

The 53-year-old suggested that the Indian players were just focused on playing attractive shots instead of playing according to the situation. Basit Ali remarked (from 10:57):

"Yes, Virat Kohli looked out of form, but what were the others doing? They were just looking to hit good-looking shots and fours. Rishabh Pant too hit a four off the first ball. This is not cricket."

The Team India batters struggled against the Sri Lankan spinners. Leg spinner Jeffrey Vandersay bagged a six-wicket haul in the second ODI, while left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage claimed a fifer in the third contest.