New Delhi: Former captain Sourav Ganguly has slammed the Indian team management for not ‘looking after’ two of its best batsmen, KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane and has said that constant experimentation in the middle-order is hurting the ‘top-heavy’ side.
Ganguly, speaking after India’s loss in the three-match ODI series against England at Leeds, said India are over-reliant on the top-three of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
“India are too top heavy at the moment. If your top-order don’t get runs, then you are struggling. You have to have quality like England have,” said Ganguly.
“Eyes closed, I will have Rahul at No.4. Your top four have to be the best players and you got to persist with them. Go and speak to Rahul and say ‘we will give you 15 games’. Just go and play.
“They (the team management) are not giving enough opportunities at the moment. Rahul got the fantastic hundred at Manchester and he was dropped at Leeds. You won’t be able to produce players like that. Same for Rahane. These are your two best batsmen. You have to have solid No.4 and 5,” he added.
In fact, Rahane was dropped from the ODI squad but remains a key member of the Test side. “I think two of your best batsmen (Rahane and Rahul) are not being looked after properly. It is my opinion either of the two has to be played at four because it is too much of a pressure, especially on Rohit and Virat Kohli,” Ganguly pointed out.
If the team want Dhoni to play in the 2019 World Cup, he will certainly have to up his game.
At the moment he is struggling, but he has been a great playerSourav Ganguly
