The five-match T20I series and the ODI series between New Zealand and India have come to an end with the hosts taking an act of sweet revenge against India in the shorter format of the game by winning the series 3-0.
Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin, two of the most vital local players of the Delhi Capital didn’t get an opportunity to play a game in this tour ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL). And that surprised the Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal as he questioned the Indian cricket team’s selection policy on his two players after the 3-0 defeat in the ODI series.
Jindal questioned the absence of Ashwin from the shorter formats and blamed Team India for having an ‘aversion to wicket-takers’.
“Don’t know why @ashwinravi99 is not in this team! There seems to be an aversion to wicket-takers! After whitewashing the kiwis in T20’s the Kiwis showing India that the semi-final victory in the World Cup was no fluke. India needs wicket-takers and players with the X factor,” he tweeted.
Don’t know why @ashwinravi99 is not in this team! There seems to be an aversion to wicket takers! After white washing the kiwis in T20’s the Kiwis showing India that the semi final victory in the World Cup was no fluke. India needs wicket takers and players with X factor
— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) February 11, 2020
Jindal was also furious with the fact that Pant didn’t get a game and asked the reason behind making him warm the bench in this tour.
“And why carry @RishabhPant17 only for him to warm the bench? Surely he would have benefited from playing against New Zealand A or domestic cricket? To see a player as talented as him not play the 5th T20 and now the 3rd ODI makes no sense #Xfactor,” he said in another tweet.
And why carry @RishabhPant17 only for him to warm the bench? Surely he would have benefited from paying against New Zealand A or domestic cricket? To see a player as talented as him not play the 5th T20 and now the 3rd ODI makes no sense #Xfactor
— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) February 11, 2020
It was a similar story for India in the third and the final ODI as Henry Nicholls ‘ 80 off 103 balls and Colin de Grandhomme’s quick-fire 58 off just 28 deliveries guided New Zealand to a comfortable five-wicket victory over India in the third ODI encounter in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday.
India managed to put a big score of 297 runs on the board, but it wasn’t enough after Nicholls and Guptill (66) provided a brilliant foundation for the Kiwis and a late onslaught by Tom Latham and de Grandhomme was enough to clinch the encounter. This is also India’s first whitewash defeat since 1989.
