'No Mohammed Siraj in playing 11': Indian fans lash out at Gautam Gambhir as West Indies make strong start in 1st ODI

'No Mohammed Siraj in playing 11': Indian fans lash out at Gautam Gambhir as West Indies make strong start in 1st ODI originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

India left out Mohammed Siraj and handed Naman Dhir his ODI debut in the series opener against West Indies.

West Indies put on an opening stand of 135 runs between John Campbell and Justin Greaves.

Fans criticised the bowling attack and questioned the team management's selection calls.

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Mohammad Siraj was not selected for the 1st ODI against the West Indies

India's decision to bowl first and leave out Mohammed Siraj in the opening ODI against West Indies has come under heavy scrutiny from fans. With half of their bowling attack fighting for the gold medal in Japan, most fans expected the Hyderabad pacer to be the primary fast bowling option for India.

Instead, Shubman Gill's side went in with four bowlers, handing Naman Dhir his international debut. In his place, it was Siraj who was left out of the playing 11.

India's bowling attack for the match featured Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav, supported by Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, with Dhir also as a part-time option.

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But the plan came under early strain as the West Indies openers cashed in.

John Campbell and Justin Greaves put together a fluent stand of 135 runs and demolished the Indian bowling g attack. But while Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Campbell, Greaves remains unbeaten and closing in on a century. That start was enough to send frustration spilling onto social media almost immediately.

MORE: 'Gill's India is better than Dhoni's 2015 side': Virat makes bold statement

Fans react to India's team selection and bowling struggles

One account laid the blame directly on the team management's planning.

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"Poor planning by Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir. No Mohammed Siraj in playing 11. Naman Dhir playing at no. 8 as all-rounder for mostly batting," they wrote.

Another fan went further, questioning specific in-game decisions as well as the XI itself.

"Clueless captaincy by Shubman Gill and coach Gambhir. No Siraj in playing 11. No wickets in pp overs. Giving 9th over to Jadeja was a clueless decision by Gill," they wrote.

One supporter broadened the criticism into a wider pattern he sees across formats. They pointed out how India decided to send their primary fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to Japan while Siraj was not included in the playing eleven.

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"Bumrah playing irrelevant T20Is. Bhuvi, Shami sidelined. Siraj dropped. Playing bits and pieces players who can ball few overs and bat few balls. Complete recipe for failure in longer formats by Gautam Gambhir," they wrote.

Another user raised a string of pointed questions about the bowling attack's composition. They circled back to Bumrah's continued absence in bilateral series.

"Can someone tell me why Bumrah and Siraj aren't playing? Why does Bumrah keep skipping series? Why is Gurnoor getting to play every game? And why is no one questioning Gambhir and Gill's strategy?" they asked.

They were also skeptical of the fact that Gurnoor Brar is being given a chance to play every game. One fan pointed to the identity of the West Indies openers as the most damning part of the start.

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"West Indies scored 107/0 at 15 overs mark and their openers are John Campbell and Justin Greaves who are not established at all and still they are getting smashed like anything."they wrote.

They further pointed that Gambhir shouldn't dodge the responsibility of not picking Bumrah. I hope Gautam Gambhir doesn't come with excuse that he didn't get Bumrah against West Indies B," they wrote.

Ironically, Bumrah hasn't even being utilised by the Asian Games squad in Japan.

MORE: Who are India's opponents in Asian Games 2026 men's quarter-final?

Why the frustration is understandable but premature

The scoreline at the time of these reactions is genuinely alarming on its face. A team missing several first-choice bowlers, conceding 155 in 24 overs to a West Indies top order lacking major stars, is a fair target for criticism in the moment.

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But 24 overs into a 50-over match is not the same as a finished result. India still has 26 overs and their full spin and pace resources left to defend, and a flat pitch that helps batters early can just as easily turn on a chasing side if wickets fall in clusters.

The selection calls, particularly resting Siraj and blooding Dhir and Gurnoor Brar, are long-term development decisions that were always going to carry short-term risk. Whether they were the right calls will be judged fairly only once this match and the rest of the series actually finish.

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