Former India cricketer Sadagoppan Ramesh has strongly criticized the team management for frequently changing the batting order during the second T20I against Australia. In the match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav demoted himself to No. 4, allowing Sanju Samson to bat at No. 3, while Harshit Rana was sent ahead of Shivam Dube. As a result, Tilak Varma was pushed down to No. 5. India were bowled out for just 125 runs, and Australia comfortably chased down the target to win by four wickets.

Ramesh expressed his displeasure about the constant positional changes creating unnecessary disorder for the batters. “India needs to stop playing musical chairs with their batting order. They would have had a great chance of winning if they had scored 160 to 170. Didn’t Suryakumar Yadav play well at No. 3 in the last match? He was not out as well. Then why send Sanju Samson at No. 3?” Ramesh said on Instagram.

The former opener added that the inconsistent roles were affecting players’ clarity and performance. “He went from opening to No. 5 and now from 5 to 3. Because of this, everyone is looking at each other in confusion on who might go in to bat next. Tilak Varma won India the Asia Cup final at No. 4 and you moved him to No. 5,” he pointed out.

Ramesh Questions Role Clarity and Team Strategy

Ramesh also questioned the move to promote Harshit Rana ahead of Dube and urged the management to focus on each player’s primary strength. Dube came out to bat at No. 8 with only five overs remaining, and Ramesh said the team needs to ensure players perform their main role effectively. “Someone who cooks well can't be made a driver and a good driver can't become the cook. Likewise, the management should focus on each player's strength and main role in the team and aim to get the best out of them in that role. If they do something extra, that’s well and good,” he explained.

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He further warned that the confusion between primary and secondary roles could hurt team balance. “But their secondary skill should not become the primary role and I fear that’s happening in this Indian team. A bowler who can bat needs to deliver with the ball first and likewise a batter who can bowl must deliver with the bat first. The management needs to be clear on this. That’s where India are slipping right now,” Ramesh concluded.

Former Indian opener Sadagopan Ramesh has raised doubts over India’s decision to field Shivam Dube as their third seam-bowling option after a dominant nine-wicket victory against the UAE in their Asia Cup 2025 opener. In an attempt to extend batting depth till No. 8, India played only three specialist bowlers, with Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Dube taking the all-rounder spots.

Despite the reduced attack, India’s bowlers delivered a stellar performance, bundling out the UAE for just 57 runs in 13.1 overs. Dube also chipped in with the ball, returning impressive figures of 3/4 from his two overs, though he was used as the sixth option in the attack.

However, Ramesh downplayed his impact against a lower-ranked opposition, stressing that such a strategy may not hold up against stronger sides in the tournament.

Ramesh Highlights Concerns Over Dube’s Role

“There was a time when Hardik Pandya was our third seamer in T20s. Now, if Shivam Dube is your third seamer, the graph is heading down there itself. Yes, he bowled well yesterday but it was against a side anyone can bowl well against,” Ramesh said on his YouTube channel.

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He further added, “Going forward, against decent sides, this could become a challenge. They are preferring Shivam Dube over Rinku Singh only because of the bowling and the third seaming option. It is clear that the management has consistently shown faith in Shivam Dube. It's a good thing but it remains to be seen if he repays the trust.”

So far, Dube has bowled nearly 50 overs in his T20I career, taking 16 wickets at an average of 28.06 with an economy rate of 9.07, numbers that underline the risk of relying on him as a frontline option.