Harshit Rana was sent to bat at No. 7, ahead of Shivam Dube.
Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik openly lambasted the Indian team management's decision in the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge, questioning why fast bowler Harshit Rana was deployed inside the powerplay to shield a proven batter like Shivam Dube during a critical batting collapse.
Chasing a daunting target of 202, the Men in Blue crumbled entirely and were bundled out for a meager 76 runs in just 11.4 overs. This 125-run defeat stands as India's heaviest run-margin loss in T20I history.
With the top-order reduced to 52/5 in 5 overs under hostile spells from Josh Tongue (4/28) and Jofra Archer (3/29), head coach Gautam Gambhir's management panicked, sending Rana out at No. 7 ahead of Dube.
This baffling tactic left Karthik seething in the commentary box. He argued that while maintaining left-right batting combinations has value in T20 cricket, it becomes illogical when a bowling specialist is pushed ahead of an established all-rounder.
"Harshit Rana coming to bat before Shivam Dube, are you kidding me? I don't even think Harshit Rana has ever batted in the powerplay, even in domestic cricket," Karthik said on-air.
"You can get the left-right combination working in T20 cricket, but only up to a point. Not Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube," he added.
The Nottingham debacle also marked the first instance of India failing to win any of their last five T20I encounters. The reigning T20 world champions are yet to register a victory under new captain Shreyas Iyer.
While India suffered a 0-2 whitewash on the tour of Ireland, they are currently trailing 0-2 in the five-T20I series against England. The team now faces a must-win situation in the penultimate T20I in Bristol on Thursday (July 9) to keep the series alive.