"It is harsh to drop someone after one game" - Ashish Nehra criticizes India's selections

Ashish Nehra has criticized the Indian team management for dropping Shardul Thakur and Sanju Samson after just one game.

Deepak Chahar and Deepak Hooda replaced Thakur and Samson, respectively, in India's XI for the second ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton on Sunday, November 27. However, neither of them got to play any part in the game as the match was called off due to rain when the visitors were at 89/1 after 12.5 overs of their innings.

While reflecting on India's selections during a discussion on Prime Video, Nehra opined that although Chahar should have played ahead of Thakur in the first ODI, he shouldn't have replaced the latter for Sunday's game, elaborating:

"India made two changes. I don't think two wrongs make a right because according to me, it's not that Shardul Thakur has not done well, but before Shardul Thakur it should have been Deepak Chahar. Now that you have gone with Shardul Thakur, it is harsh to drop someone after one game."

Nehra had a similar view about Hooda replacing Samson in the XI. The former Indian pacer said:

"Even if you see Sanju Samson, I would have played Hooda ahead of Sanju Samson because he was part of the World Cup squad, and then suddenly he is nowhere. I hope they have not got Deepak Hooda for his bowling. Yes, he bowled well in a T20 game, picked up four wickets, he is your sixth option, but not a great sixth option."

Shikhar Dhawan mentioned in the post-match presentation that they included Chahar at Thakur's expense due to the former's ability to swing the new ball. He also stated that Hooda was brought in as the sixth bowling option.

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"Washington Sundar is a good enough batter to bat at No. 6" - Ashish Nehra

Washington Sundar played a blazing knock in the first ODI against New Zealand.

Nehra feels India should have stuck with Thakur and played Chahar as the sixth bowling option. He reasoned:

"According to me, you should definitely have a sixth bowling option and that sixth bowling option for me is not Deepak Hooda. That sixth bowling option for me is Deepak Chahar. Washington Sundar is a good enough batter to bat at No. 6. Then you have Shardul Thakur at No. 7 and then Chahar."

According to the cricketer-turned-commentator, India should have played four seamers and two spinners. He explained:

"In the last 20 years, we have seen every shade of those drop-in wickets, but these are good wickets. So you definitely need a sixth bowler, you can go with four fast bowlers because, mind you, there is no Hardik Pandya, and then you can go with two spinners."

India will have decent batting depth if they play Washington Sundar, Thakur, and Chahar from No. 6 to No. 8. It would be interesting to see if the team management opts to go that route in the final ODI on Wednesday, November 30.