"You kept playing him until there was criticism" - Aakash Chopra questions India's tactics in AUS vs IND 2025 3rd T20I

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned the Men in Blue's tactics in the third T20I against Australia. He wondered why the visitors didn't use Washington Sundar with the ball and dropped Harshit Rana from the playing XI.

India beat Australia by five wickets in the third T20I in Hobart on Sunday, November 2. They restricted the hosts to 186/6 and achieved the target with nine deliveries to spare to draw parity in the five-match series.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener questioned the team management for leaving out Harshit after he earned plaudits for his batting performance in the previous game.

"Why wasn't Washington Sundar made to bowl? This is a big question. Firstly, you made a lot of changes. You shouldn't have dropped Harshit in this match. You should have played Harshit in this match because you had to bowl Shivam Dube. So you could have played Harshit and made him bat at No. 8 because he batted well in the last match," Chopra said (10:10). "He didn't bowl well once or twice, so you didn't play him, but you won't be able to prepare Harshit also like this. There was a lot of criticism. You kept playing him until there was criticism, and you dropped him when people were praising him. It wasn't understandable," he added.

Harshit Rana scored 35 runs off 33 deliveries in the second T20I against Australia in Melbourne on Friday, October 31. However, he went wicketless and conceded 27 runs in two overs as Mitchell Marsh and company registered a four-wicket win with 40 deliveries to spare.

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"This is surprising" - Aakash Chopra questions India for not using Washington Sundar with the ball in AUS vs IND 2025 3rd T20I

Washington Sundar played a match-winning knock but didn't bowl in the third T20I against Australia. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra termed Suryakumar Yadav's decision not to use Washington Sundar with the ball surprising.

"You didn't get Washi to bowl. This is surprising, that you are playing him but not making him bowl. If someone tells me that he wasn't bowled because there were right-handers in the middle, Travis Head is the only left-hander in the entire batting lineup. You knew that beforehand," he said (11:00).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the spin-bowling all-rounder shouldn't have been picked in the playing XI if he can't be used against right-handers.

"Australia's batting lineup has all right-handers. If Washi can't bowl there, he shouldn't play. Washi batted incredibly well and we also got to see his power game, something we haven't seen much, which is outstanding, but not getting him to bowl makes no sense because you had left two overs for Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma in the last five overs," Chopra observed.

Instead of Washington Sundar, Suryakumar Yadav opted to use Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma with the ball, with the duo conceding 56 runs in their combined four overs. However, Sundar scored an unbeaten 23-ball 49 in the chase after being promoted to No. 6 ahead of Jitesh Sharma and Dube.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer