Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has questioned India’s team selection following their four-wicket loss to Australia in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Finch suggested that head coach Gautam Gambhir may have overloaded the side with batters, compromising the balance of the bowling attack.
Speaking on JioStar, Finch said he was surprised by the exclusion of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, India’s leading wicket-taker in the format. The World Cup-winning skipper added that he expects Arshdeep to return for the next T20I in Bellerive.
“Arshdeep Singh should be in the team. I would be very surprised if he doesn’t make it back for the next game. One thing I’ve learned about T20 cricket is that when you go in with too many batters, the sense of responsibility gets diluted,” Finch said after the match.
“Batters subconsciously assume someone else will get the job done. But if you play one fewer batter, it’s amazing how often the rest step up. India clearly has the World Cup in mind, and this series is part of finding the right combinations to win that tournament,” he added.
India opted for Harshit Rana ahead of Arshdeep in Melbourne, a move that raised concerns. Promoted to No. 7 in the batting order, ahead of Shivam Dube, Rana added valuable runs alongside Abhishek Sharma to steady the innings after a top-order collapse. However, his bowling failed to deliver, conceding 27 runs in two overs as Australia chased down the 126-run target in just 13.2 overs.
Gambhir has previously faced criticism for allegedly favouring Rana across formats, given their shared history at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where they were part of the IPL 2024 title-winning team. However, Gambhir has consistently defended the pacer during the recent Test series against West Indies that Rana’s selection is based purely on performance, not on any favours.
With the series now 1-0 in Australia’s favour, after the washed-out opener in Adelaide and the defeat in Melbourne, the pressure is mounting on the Indian side. As the team head for the third T20I at Hobart on November 2, the focus will be on whether Arshdeep Singh returns to the XI to bring balance back to India’s bowling attack.