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Gambhir's Bold Selection Calls That Proved Doubters Wrong In IND vs UAE Asia Cup Match

Debashis Sarangi

Gautam Gambhir picked Dube for first match [Source: AFP]Gautam Gambhir picked Dube for first match [Source: AFP]

On Wednesday, India had an emphatic start to the Asia Cup 2025, crushing the United Arab Emirates by nine wickets in their first match of the tournament. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India bundled out the UAE for 57 runs before cruising to the paltry score inside five overs. 

Despite India winning the game, some of their selections didn't align with the expectations. People even went on to criticise head coach Gautam Gambhir, the mastermind behind India's decision-making. However, the calls made by the Gambhir-led management eventually produced results and proved the critics wrong, as mentioned below. 

Arshdeep Snub and selection of 3 specialist spinners

In a surprising move, India snubbed premier speedster Arshdeep Singh from their playing XI against the UAE. Given that Arshdeep is India's most successful T20I bowler, his exclusion made fans raise their eyebrows. While Arshdeep warmed the bench, India picked three frontline spinners- Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy for the inaugural encounter. 

How the three-spinner strategy helped Gambhir prove critics wrong?

Criterion
IND pacers
IND spinners
Overs67.1
Wickets46
Average8.254.00
Strike Rate9.007.17
Economy5.53.34

(IND spinners' much better numbers than pacers vs UAE)

  • Although Indian pacers registered impressive averages, strike rates and economy, it was largely due to Shivam Dube's sublime spell. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, India's two frontline seamers, conceded 29 runs off their four overs and picked a single wicket collectively. 
  • On the other hand, India's spinners did a commendable job, capitalising on the Dubai track's spin-friendly behaviour. While Kuldeep Yadav bamboozled the UAE batters and bagged four wickets, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy kept the opponents under the pump, recording healthy economy rates. 
  • Thus, although Gautam Gambhir's call to prefer an extra spinner instead of a proven fast bowler like Arshdeep initially received mixed reactions, the Indian coach proved his doubters wrong by bringing desired results. 

Picking Shivam Dube, the multi-dimensional asset

Given that India have Hardik Pandya, there were slim chances of Shivam Dube getting a game as the second pace bowling all-rounder. However, India's Gambhir-led think tank preferred the multi-dimensional player over a specialist batter like Rinku Singh, surprising fans and experts. 

How the three-spinner strategy helped Gambhir prove critics wrong?

  • Shivam Dube performed much better with the ball than more established names like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. On a pitch where the UAE batters comfortably tackled pacers of Pandya and Bumrah's calibre, Dube generated genuine movement off the deck, leaving the opponents puzzled with his bowling. 
  • He scalped key wickets of Asif Khan and Dhruv Parashar before removing Junaid Siddique in his second over. Thus, Dube justified his selection and helped Gambhir prove his doubters wrong. 

Backing Sanju Samson despite outside noise

Sanju Samson was India's first-choice opener in T20Is before Shubman Gill re-entered as Abhishek Sharma's batting partner for the Asia Cup. With Gill set to open the batting with Abhishek, it was expected that Jitesh Sharma would pip Samson for the middle-order batter's slot. 

However, while he brought Gill back, Gambhir ensured India's decision-making didn't get influenced by the outside noise, allotting Samson a place in the lineup. 

How the move to back Samson helped Gambhir prove critics wrong?

  • Gautam Gambhir has been in the spotlight for his selection calls ever since replacing Rahul Dravid as India's all-format coach. While his critics keep accusing him of biased selections, Gambhir showed his knack for backing proven players by choosing Samson over Jitesh for the UAE encounter. 
  • This move sent a strong message to the people who follow the game from outside, signifying the sense of security Gambhir brings to the table and his 'horses for courses' approach while finalising the lineup for a particular game.