Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed R Ashwin's return to the ODI team as one of the reasons behind India's 0-3 series defeat against South Africa.
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Former batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed the veteran India spinner R Ashwin’s return to the ODI team as one of the reasons behind India’s series defeat against South Africa. India have suffered a 4-run defeat in the third and final ODI against South Africa in Cape Town as well.
Notably, R Ashwin has returned to the ODI team after four years but didn’t perform well in the two matches. Ashwin has returned with the figures of 1/53 and 0/68 in the first two ODIs between India and South Africa. But, he was dropped from the third match as well.
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“Ashwin strangely came back into India’s ODI plans for some reason. India paid a price for that. He played the two crucial games, did nothing much. (Yuzvendra) Chahal is also under the scanner. Prasidh Krishna needs to be backed a bit more. Also, in 50-overs, Mohammed Shami could be a good option,” Sanjay Manjrekar said to ESPNCricinfo.
However, the veteran also said that Indian speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s time with the Indian team is all but over, as the senior pace bowler has been far from his best of form.
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“Bowling wise, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had given signs even before this series that he is finding it difficult to get back to his best. I guess that issue is closed after seeing his performance in the series. And Deepak Chahar, the one ball to get Janneman Malan, should tell selectors that he is a better option. The way the match ended sums up the whole trip to India. It has to be one of the poorest Indian tours to South Africa. That’s how it was destined to be. It just wasn’t India’s time in South Africa. It is a bad loss,” Sanjay Manjrekar concluded.
