The high-stakes atmosphere of the T20 World Cup Super 8s turned chilly for Team India in Ahmedabad, as a clinical South African side exposed significant cracks in the Men in Blue’s armor. While the scoreboard told a story of a heavy defeat, the post-match discourse has shifted toward the dugout. Former cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has voiced sharp, sarcastic criticism regarding Head Coach Gautam Gambhir’s tactical maneuvers, specifically questioning the “fix-it-all” approach to all-rounder Washington Sundar.

With India’s semi-final hopes now dangling by a thread, the defeat has ignited a fierce debate over team selection and the ability of India’s middle order to handle sophisticated pace variations.

Sanjay Manjrekar criticises Gautam Gambhir’s tactic of picking Washington Sundar

In the aftermath of the loss, Manjrekar did not hold back while analysing the tactical collapses on CNN-News18’s Stump Mic. His primary target was Gambhir’s heavy reliance on Sundar as a tactical “Swiss Army knife,” a move that Manjrekar feels is being overplayed to the detriment of the team’s balance.

“Kailas Jeevan, there used to be a medicine by that name back in the day. If you had a headache, you would use it. If you had a stomach issue, you would take it. It was an all-in-one remedy. Gautam Gambhir seems to have an all-in-one solution for everything too—Washington Sundar,” Manjrekar remarked with a touch of irony.

The critique centered on the decision to promote Sundar to No. 5, a move that pushed proven finishers like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya further down the order. Manjrekar argued that this reshuffle created unnecessary pressure, stating, “If there’s a batting problem, Washi. If there’s a bowling problem, Washi… It was just too much.” This tactical rigidity, according to Manjrekar, suggests a lack of confidence in specialized roles when the stakes are highest.

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South Africa steamroll India in T20 World Cup Super 8 clash

While the selection drama unfolded off the field, the action on the pitch revealed a technical vulnerability in the Indian lineup. South Africa’s bowling unit, led by a disciplined Lungi Ngidi, dismantled the Indian batting order not through raw speed, but through masterfully disguised slower deliveries. The Ahmedabad surface, which offered grip for the change-ups, became a graveyard for India’s aggressive intent.

Manjrekar highlighted that the struggles against pace variations are becoming a recurring theme, particularly for the captain. “Forget fast bowling, focus on playing the slower balls. The captain [Suryakumar Yadav] is struggling the most against slower deliveries,” he added.  This assessment rings true after Ngidi and the South African attack repeatedly forced mistimed shots from India’s top and middle order.

The road ahead is now a steep climb. India must face Zimbabwe in a must-win encounter to keep their semi-final dreams alive. Beyond just a victory, they require a massive margin to repair a Net Run Rate (NRR) that took a severe hit following the Ahmedabad collapse. As Gambhir faces his first major tactical crisis in the Super 8s, the pressure is on to see if he will stick to his all-in-one remedies or pivot to a more traditional structure.

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