![[Watch] KL Rahul takes brilliant catch as Auqib Nabi bags his second wicket in Wellington ODI](https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/1bw6l4oCpf60.webp)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has faced backlash as former India captain Kris Srikkanth tore into the team management over a baffling tactical move during
the second ODI against New Zealand.
Rain disrupted the fixture at Wellington. The sky opened up heavily, forcing players off the field. Officials eventually called off play with India stranded at 113 for 7 in 26 overs. The visitors squeezed out a narrow four-run victory on the DLS method, finishing just ahead of the par score. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opened the innings, but the real drama unfolded in the middle overs.
The scorecard exposed a strange batting shuffle. Axar Patel walked out to bat at number five. A specialist batter of KL Rahul's pedigree was inexplicably held back until number six.
Srikkanth expressed absolute disbelief on his YouTube channel. He labeled the move a gross injustice to a marquee player. Conditions in Wellington were hostile. The ball moved around dangerously off the pitch. The top order collapsed under intense pressure. Rahul eventually walked in and stabilized the sinking innings.
He remained unbeaten on a hard-fought 26 off 38 deliveries, hitting two boundaries and two sixes to keep the scoreboard ticking.
"Once the conditions are difficult, only two players step up - Virat Kohli and KL Rahul," Srikkanth stated bluntly. "What justice is it to send Rahul at No.6 after Axar Patel? How can you justify Axar Patel batting ahead of him?"
Rahul owns a solid track record. He has scored international centuries batting at numbers three and four. Srikkanth believes a player with such credentials deserves better treatment from the coaching staff. The former selector reminded Gambhir that Rahul remains a premium asset in the Indian setup.
Despite the batting chaos, India found a silver lining with the ball. Young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar delivered a massive spell. He exploited the helpful conditions to register career-best figures of 4 for 30.
Srikkanth acknowledged the bowling effort. He praised the current crop of Indian pacers for maximizing supportive pitches. He noted that Indian fast bowlers have historically dominated on green tracks since the Javagal Srinath era.
