Australia won the second ODI on Thursday, giving them an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, and India lost again. In doing so, the Men in Blue suffered their first defeat in an ODI in Adelaide in seventeen years.
Despite strong batting performances from Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel, the bowling and fielding efforts were insufficient to stop the hosts from pursuing the mark.
The Men in Yellow won the match by two wickets with 22 balls left, despite Australia losing eight wickets in their chase of 265 runs due to some misplaced catches by the Indian fielders.
In the pivotal encounter, young man Copper Connolly stole the show with an undefeated 61-run knock. Australia, who won the series opener by seven wickets on Sunday, secured the series with one game remaining.
The outcome infuriated the supporters, who criticized India’s performance. As head coach Gautam Gambhir was under fire on social media, blame was also placed on the team’s selection.
Here are some of the most popular responses on social media:
Kuldeep isn’t given any opportunities. Siraj hasn’t done anything. A user commented, “You can’t play and win with a mediocre bowling lineup.”
“We’ll see if Gambhir attends today’s press conference. Another user said, “He’s always there when it’s time to claim the credit.”
“Dear India, it’s normal to beat Pakistan. The statement is to beat Australia. One wrote, “Let’s concentrate where it counts.”
Another said, “Winning an ODI series in Australia isn’t for everyone after all.”
“Improper coaching and captaincy.” missed the pivotal moments of the game. The advancement of Harshit Rana Over washi and fast bowlers,” another user commented.
Kuldeep Yadav is losing out on important opportunities because of Gautam Gambhir’s fixation with all-rounders. It is absolutely absurd to bench one of his greatest bowlers for the sake of team balance while disregarding his capacity to take wickets, a user wrote.
Was it a mistake for India to remove Rohit Sharma from the ODI captaincy? Another said, “A team that for the last two to three years looked dominant and unbeatable is now struggling against a fairly average Australian side.”
“This bowling attack makes it impossible to win. Another said, “Siraj is the only one who is the main bowler; everyone else is a side bowler.
Before the Suryakumar Yadav-led T20I team takes on the Australians in five 20-over matches, India will play the final ODI against them on Saturday at the storied Sydney Cricket Ground.
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