Former Indian cricketer terms Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar’s exclusion shameful

The Indian team is currently playing a three-match Test series in South Africa which they have already lost by a margin of 2-0. The team has performed well but in patches. The Proteas have managed to outplay them on several occasions and extended the dominance to extract wins. India couldn’t withstand the jolts inflicted by the hosts and consequently, succumbed to a couple of hefty defeats.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was outstanding with the new ball at the Newlands in Cape Town. However, he lost his place to Ishant Sharma for the second Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Moreover, Ajinkya Rahane, India’s most useful batsman in overseas conditions from the statistical point of view and the designated vice-captain of the Test team hasn’t got a game yet in the series.

The ‘shameful’ calls

The management’s decisions have raised several eyebrows and they drew severe criticism. Manoj Prabhakar, the former Indian cricketer, severely bashed the team selections in a recent interaction with the media.

“This is a shame. If you start picking Test side on T20I or ODIs form, then you’re gone. It’s a specialist job to play new ball in Test matches,” Prabhakar quipped in the press conference at the Eden Gardens.

He also feels that Bhuvneshwar should be brought back to the playing XI for the third and final Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. “Bhuvi should be back, he swings a lot with lateral movements. When the ball swings, South Africans struggle, they are good at negotiating seam but not very good against swing,” the former fast-bowler opined.

Having already lost the series, India will now want to salvage pride in the upcoming Test. Rahane hasn’t played a game yet thus Virat Kohli & Co. might want to draft him into the team. Meanwhile, they will also be looking to evade a series sweep and go into the limited-overs fixtures with a positive frame of mind.

For more updates and developments on the India vs South Africa series, stay tuned to CricTracker.com.