Men in Blue's deputy skipper KL Rahul bore the brunt of former India's Test specialist Wasim Jaffer after Team India suffered a five-run loss to Bangladesh in the second ODI in Dhaka with which the hosts clinched the three-match series 2-0 with a match yet to be played. This was only the second occasion when India had lost the series against Bangladesh away from home.
While rueing the loss, Jaffer slammed Rahul, who took the leadership role in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma in the second ODI. Rahul took over the captaincy mantle after Rohit injured his thumb and walked off the field hurt and bleeding. Rohit was forced to go to the hospital for scans and had to get his dislocated thumb set before coming back into the stadium.
India, who were dominating in the first half of the Bangladesh's innings by pushing them to a precarious position of 66/6, showed complacency under Rahul's captaincy. However, Bangladesh went on to post a competitive total of 271/7 in the stipulated 50 overs riding on Mehidy Hasan's century and Mahamudullah's sedate fifty. Later despite Rohit's late onslaught, who scored 28-ball 51 while batting at no.9, went in vain and Bangladesh won the match by five runs.
Jaffer said that Rahul was not a capable captain which eventually cost India dearly in the second ODI against Bangladesh.
“We had good bowlers in Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel. Umran Malik also did well, but Bangladesh had the answers to all the questions. They batted wonderfully well and rotated the strike nicely. It’s difficult when your captain is in (not on the field) and the keeper has to lead. KL Rahul is not a very experienced captain, especially at the international level. That may have had an effect, but that can’t be an excuse. You’ve got to give credit to Bangladesh," Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo.
The Men in Blue will now play the third ODI with three members of the playing XI injured. Further they will play a two-match Test series against Bangladesh which starts from December 14.
India's ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Rajat Patidar, Rahul Tripathi, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Sen, Umran Malik, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.
Bangladesh's ODI squad: Litton Kumer Das, Anamul Hague Bijoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Yasir All Chowdhury, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Nasum Ahmed, Mahmud Ullah, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shoriful Islam.
