‘Kohli, Shastri should be reassessed if India doesn’t win series’

India legend Sunil Gavaskar is unhappy with the selection problems that have troubled India in recent series and said that selectors need to take a hard look at what benefits the coach, captain and the team stuffs are bringing into the team if India cannot win the series against Australia.

India had lost the Test series against South Africa despite putting up a fight. Then they were trounced 4-1 in England and Gavaskar said that selections were an issue. Virat Kohli had picked four seamers in a pitch built for scintillating pace bowling but Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon ended up as the hero, picking up eight wickets in the match.

“We have been seeing this, the selection blunders that have been committed since the tour of South Africa. It has cost the team because it has lost matches which could’ve been won if the proper selection had been made,” Gavaskar told a TV channel, as quoted by agencies.

“They have to look at the combination of their team, look at the hole that needs to be plugged and pick the men [to do it]. If they do that then they can certainly win the next two matches,” Gavaskar added.

And in the event India do not win their third consecutive away Test series? Gavaskar warned that the selectors need to take a hard look at the team’s thinktank.

“But if they don’t, and that too against this Australian team which does not have Steve Smith or David Warner, then the selectors need to think whether we are getting any benefit from this lot – the captain, coach and support staff," he concluded.