'Common sense seems to be lacking' - Manoj Tiwary slams Rohit Sharma, Gambhir after Bengaluru drubbing

Following India's shocking defeat to New Zealand in the first Test at Bengaluru, former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has criticised skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir for their decision-making process.

The defeat meant New Zealand secured their first Test victory on Indian soil in 36 years. Moreover, there have been significant concerns about India's approach and tactics as they collapsed for 46 runs in the first innings, their lowest Test total at home.

"Sometimes I don't understand the decisions. Common sense seems to be lacking. What the coach or captain is trying to prove, is beyond my understanding. I feel like, whenever there is a new coach or new captain, they try to prove something and take such decisions," Tiwary told Cricbuzz.

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'Don't know why that did not happen' - Manoj Tiwary on India not using R Ashwin

One of Tiwary's primary concerns was the handling of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Despite Ashwin's impressive record of over 500 Test wickets, he was not used during New Zealand's chase of 107 runs, bowling just two overs when the visitors were already at 97/2.

"I knew that one of the spinners would be under-bowled, but I never imagined that it would be Ashwin. He has over 500 Test wickets. When you are defending 107, why didn't you bring him in the attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah? Good captains also make mistakes, because a lot of things go through your mind. Here, the role of the coach to give constant guidance is very important, but I don't know why that did not happen," Tiwary added.

The former also pointed out the relationship between the captain and coach, and suggested that Gambhir failed to provide adequate guidance to Sharma. He also mentioned about the impact of selection decisions on player morale, particularly regarding pacer Akash Deep's exclusion. 

"Akash Deep's confidence must've suffered a big blow when he found out he wasn't part of the playing XI. Good captains also make mistakes, because a lot of things go through your mind. Here, the role of the coach to give constant guidance is very important, but I don't know why that did not happen," he concluded.