Gautam Gambhir, head coach of Indian, came under great criticism for choosing a team for the decisive fifth test in the oval, where India decided to play Arshdeep Singh or Kuldeep Yadav. The decision caused a large debate, especially with regard to high shares.
India ends 1-2 in a series of five matches and victory in the final test offers them a chance to balance the series and replicate the result of the 2021 tour, which ended 2-2. With so many on the line, fans and experts, they expected a bold approach, especially in response to the seam conditions presented by an oval playground.
Exclusion Arshdeep Singh He picked up several eyebrows. Many of them have seen a sailor left shoulder, known for his ability to swing the ball in two way, as the perfect fit for the offered green playground. Instead, India persisted with a combination that tried to consistency throughout the series.
The continuing omission of the Yadava Kuldeep also thwarted fans. The wrist of the left shoulder wrist was in good form and is widely considered to be a strong offensive option, especially in medium crossings when it softens the ball. However, the series will end without playing a single test, heating the bench for a two -month tour.
One of the most discussed decisions was integration Karun Nair. Home Stalwart returned to the test side of this series, but could not deliver with the bat. Despite his lack of form, he retained his place at the expense of the versatile Sharduula Thakura, a player who is known to contribute both by the bat and the ball in overseas conditions. Many felt the decision weakened by the balance of India. Indian decision to strengthen the order of bats comes as a surprise, since they approached Manchester without having someone like Rishabh Pant on the side because of his injury in the second shift.
Social media responded quickly. The fans took X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration with the team leadership, and some even questioned the happiness of SHUBman Gill to throw. Gill, in his first series as the captain of the test, lost all five throwings, did not lose detail on supporters.
Selection Call of Slam Gambhira fans
“SHUBMAN GILL has lost all 5 throws in a row, incredible,” one fan said.
Another fan went so far that he compared the current team settings with one of the most criticized periods of Indian cricket. “Monitoring the Gambhir era, Greg Champpell era feels like the golden period of the Indian cricket,” he wrote.
Some fans also did not suction their words when they responded to the continuing selection of Karuna Naira. One post read: “No Kuldeep, no arshdeep. Hopefully it will be the last match for Karun Nair as a player and Gautam Gambhir as a coach. The sophisticated team selection.”
There were also questions about possible bias or lack of trust in Kuldeep Yadav. “Does Gautam Gambhir have any problems with Kuldeep? He didn’t give him a single chance to play in this series,” one user asked.
In fact, the treatment of Kuldeep led another fan to indicate that Spinner should consider leaving the test cricket for the time being. “If I am a Yadav Kuldeep, I voluntarily remove myself from reflection on future tests, if Gambhir and his team are involved. He just mixes the networks in England for two months and wears beverages.”
When India occupies an oval field in the hope of drawing a series, it is necessary to firmly on Gambhir and the decision made under his leadership. Although the results can still swing in favor of India, it is unlikely that the criticism around the team selection in the foreseeable future would soon disappear.
India (XI playing): YASHASVI JAISWAL, KL RAHUL, SAI SUDHARSAN, SHUBMAN GILL (C), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (W), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Prasidh Krishna, Mauhammed Sirjna
– ends
Published:
Amar Pancker
Published on:
31 July 2025
