World Cup 2019: 5 reasons why MS Dhoni coming in at No.7 against New Zealand was a tactical blunder

#4 Not utilising batters according to their strengths

India v New Zealand - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Semi-Final

Players like Pant, Pandya and Karthik are naturally free-flowing players. Karthik had a defined role of batting at number 7 and had to be backed to play crucial cameos. In the chase, India wasted the role of Dinesh Karthik and that failure has probably ended his ODI career.

Hypothetically, even if India needed more than 10 runs per over in the last 10 overs, the probability of a win could have been higher if one of Pandya or Karthik were still to follow than the scenario which unfolded in front of us that day.

India had all their attacking weapons diminished even before the 25th over and Jadeja-Dhoni had to put together a fairytale partnership, which they almost did, but could not take India across the line.