“India could have opted for better choices”- Gautam Gambhir draws light on first T20I between India and South Africa

India and South Africa locked horns with each other in the first of the five-match T20I series on Thursday. The series opener was played at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. It wasn't an ideal start to the series for the Indian Team as they lost to the visitors by 7 wickets. A brilliant knock of 76 runs from Ishan Kishan was overshadowed by the heroics of David Miller and Rassie Van Der Dussen in the second innings. 

Senior Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik also made his comeback to International cricket in the first game. All the fans were waiting for a sensational finish from his bat but he got to play only two balls in the last over.

Recently, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has talked about the possible inclusions that could have been done by the Indian team in the first T20I against South Africa. He stated that India could have made better choices while preparing the playing XI for the first T20I of the series.

“Now that you have played Dinesh Karthik, you will play him. I still feel you could have played Deepak Hooda, the form he was in, and he is a youngster. But in the next matches, I don’t think any changes are required to be done unless the wicket is extremely dry,” Gambhir was quoted as saying on a show on Star Sports.

Later, the LSG mentor also backed the young leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi and stated that he can be included as the second leg spinner in the playing XI instead of a seamer for the next few matches.

“In that case, you can probably sit out a seamer and play the leg-spinner in Bishnoi, and Hardik can be your third seamer. You will have two wrist-spinners as attacking options but if the ground is small and there is not much spin on the wicket, then you will probably see the same team,” Gambhir added later.