India, Feb. 6 -- India head coach Gautam Gambhir's affinity towards a left-right combination saw Axar Patel get promoted to No. 5 in the batting line-up ahead of wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul in the opening ODI match of the three-game series against England in Nagpur on Thursday. However, the tactic did not sit well with fans, who reckoned Gambhir was hurting Rahul's career by pushing him down the order.

Rahul has predominantly been a No. 5 batter in ODI cricket, a shift, made a couple of years back, which changed his white-ball career. It also saw him gain success, which was evident from his impressive show in the 2023 ODI World Cup. While Rahul was expected to play the same role on Thursday at the VCA Stadium, Gambhir sent Axar at No. 5...