Rohit Sharma Sent 'There Will Be Cracks In The Team' Warning Over Selection Blunders During Pune Defeat

India suffered an embarrassing defeat to New Zealand in the second Test in Pune. The defeat marked India's first series defeat at home after 2012. India were favourites to win the series, but New Zealand outplayed them in all departments. While the players did not live up to the expectations during the series, a few captaincy calls from Rohit Sharma also raised eyebrows. In the first Test in Bengaluru on a spicy pitch, Rohit Sharma opted to bat after winning the toss. The conditions were almost unplayable in the first hour as India were shot down for a mere 46. Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwari highlighted India's tactical blunders during the series and said the decision to bat first in Bengaluru disrupted their plans. “India's biggest enemy was the weather in Bengaluru because they had prepared a turning track. After winning the toss India had the opportunity to field, but I don't know why they opted to bat first, and that is where it all started. First, they got the team selection wrong, then after losing the first Test, they made three changes,” Tiwari said on Cricbuzz.Tiwari further warned that the selection calls in the first two Tests against New Zealand could lead to cracks in the dressing room. India added Washington Sundar to the squad following the defeat in the first Test. Sundar was included in the XI ahead of Axar Patel, replacing Kuldeep Yadav. Sundar had a great outing in the match as he bagged 11 wickets, but Tiwari feels Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav could have produced similar results. Tiwari added that the selection calls and the on-field decisions Rohit Sharma took backfired for India in the series. “Well, you could call that Washington Sundar change an inspiring one, but that doesn't mean that Kuldeep Yadav could not get them wickets. So they felt the dearth of batting options, and hence, they wanted Sundar to contribute lower down the order. That is why India went out of their way to get him in. What this will lead to is in the coming days there will be a lot of disturbances in the team, there will be cracks in the team. You already have a spin-bowling all-rounder in Axar Patel, who picked up wickets in spinning conditions previously. But you ignored him and then benched Kuldeep in the second Test. You did not play Akash Deep in Bengaluru, but included him in the second Test, where you did not give him the ball in the second innings. Then you did not start with Jasprit Bumrah in the attack. All these things backfired,” he added.