New Delhi, Jan. 11 -- The Indian team management faced severe backlash on Sunday after the Men in Blue benched Arshdeep Singh in the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA stadium in Vadodara. The decision to bench Arshdeep not only took the experts by surprise, but it also drew sharp reactions online.

In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj led the Indian pace bowling attack, along Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana in the playing XI. The criticism stemmed after Arshdeep didn't find a place despite being most economical in the ODI series against South Africa.

When asked about the combination, captain Shubman Gill ruled it out as "trying different combinations" before the 2027 World Cup. "We will bowl first. Honestly, try diffe...