'It was something that was forced upon' - Dinesh Karthik on India's move to bat Sarfaraz Khan at number eight

Such has been the case with Indian team, that after every loss certain decisions have come under the scanner. It all started when India fielded an extra spinner against New Zealand at a pace-friendly Bengaluru wicket under overcast conditions, which eventually led into a rare home defeat for them. After the second Test was lost in Pune, the criticism expectedly skyrocketed. Come the third Test in Mumbai, India once again experienced a batting collapse and fans became critical about the batting order. 

Sarfaraz Khan, who scored a brilliant 150 at number four in the first Test against New Zealand, was sent at number eight as India lost six wickets with 203 runs on the board. The right-handed batter was dismissed for a four-ball duck. With the decision leaving fans baffled, former India cricketer, Dinesh Karthik reasoned that Ravindra Jadeja was preferred over Sarfaraz to maintain the lef-right combination.

Also Read: Shubman Gill explains mindset during epic knock in Mumbai Test

"The left-right combination - it was working till it lasted. When Rishabh Pant got out, there was a feeling that the left-right combination would be continued and it will help India. So, sending Jadeja was not such a bad move. Because when Jadeja fell and there two right-handers got at the crease, that was the only time when wickets fell quickly. So, it probably was not the worst decision. It was something that was forced upon them," Karthik told Cricbuzz.

"In this case, I would definitely cut a bit of slack for Gambhir because the evidence was there that left hand-right hand combination out in the middle was helping the side," he added.

India were bundled out for 263 runs as they managed to secure a lead of 28 runs. On the back of Ravindra Jadeja’s five wicket-haul and Ravichandran Ashwin’s three-fer, the hosts managed to contain the Kiwis for 174 runs in the first session of Day 3.