For the third straight match, the Indian team went with a change in the team’s spin-bowling attack, with Ravindra Jadeja replacing Ravichandran Ashwin. While Washington Sundar had featured for India in the first Test at Perth, he was replaced by Ashwin in the second. In third, another change was made in the form of Jadeja. Looking at the changes in the spin-bowling department, former India wicket-keeper batter called out Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma‘s decision as ‘defensive’ while sending a reminder of what Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri used to aim for as a captain-coach duo.

“I have to say (Gautam) Gambhir and Rohit (Sharma) have gone towards an option that provides more batting. In the bowling, they have realised that all three (two) spinners haven’t had that much of an impact,” Karthik said in a chat on Cricbuzz.

“So, they probably fear that, you know, let’s try and get the best batter out of the three and this is what their thinking could be. It doesn’t sit well with me,” he added.

Karthik sent a reminder to Gambhir and Rohit that Test matches can’t be won if you don’t aim for 20 wickets. With Jadeja’s inclusion to the XI, Karthik felt that the team was more balanced in the batting unit but lost its magic as a bowling unit.

“You always have to give credit to Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli in the limited success that they had while touring was (that) they aimed for 20 wickets. What can we do as a unit to get 20 wickets, that was the constant question and they always preferred playing 6:5 combination (6 batters and 5 bowlers),” he explained.

“Now, India is blessed to an extent with Nitish (Kumar) Reddy, who is giving us a few overs with the ball at times and picking up a wicket as well. He has probably been the find of the series so far. To get into that mindset where you want depth of batting but you don’t mind lack of bowling,” Karthik said.

“But the other side of the argument could be, what has Washington and Ashwin done with the ball that a Jadeja can’t. That would be the only thing. I feel it’s slightly a defensive option but I understand where they are coming from,” he concluded.