3 selection mistakes that have come up after India's loss to Bangladesh in the 1st ODI

Team India suffered another humiliating white-ball loss in the first ODI against Bangladesh as the hosts clinched victory by a narrow one-wicket margin thanks to a 51-run partnership between Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman.

Fresh off a disappointing T20 World Cup 2022 exit as well as an ODI series loss to New Zealand, the Men in Blue needed to get their act together. But the return of a few high-profile stars didn't go to plan as Bangladesh held their nerve to extend their stellar home record.

India have come under severe criticism for their squad and playing XI selections of late. Although the panel led by Chetan Sharma will soon be replaced, Rohit Sharma and Co. need to seriously ponder their approach to white-ball cricket.

India's squad for the Bangladesh ODI series: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Shreyas Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, Umran Malik

Here are three clear selection mistakes that have come to light following India's loss in the ODI series opener against Bangladesh.

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#3 India don't have any exciting backup openers in the squad

New Zealand v India - 3rd ODI

Shikhar Dhawan is enduring his worst-ever calendar year in ODI cricket, with both his average (37.61) and his strike rate (74.48) being hugely underwhelming. Rohit Sharma hasn't been in the best of form either, with only three 30+ scores in his last 10 innings.

It might be unlikely for India to move away from their experienced opening combination, but that could be the best course of action right now. Unfortunately, the Men in Blue do not have any real options waiting on the bench. Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar and Rahul Tripathi are the names in consideration, but none of them truly inspire confidence as an opener.

Shubman Gill, who averages a tick over 57 at a strike rate touching three figures over 15 ODIs, was bizarrely not named in the squad. Ruturaj Gaikwad was left to plunder runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, while other exciting options like Rishabh Pant were removed from the squad. Speaking of which...

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#2 Rishabh Pant was picked and then released from the squad

New Zealand v India - 3rd ODI

The BCCI has not given an official reason behind Rishabh Pant's exclusion from the squad for the Bangladesh ODIs. Initially named in the contingent, the southpaw was released just ahead of the opening game of the series, with the board stating that it was done "in consultation with the medical team."

The curious circumstances of the incident have sparked wide debate regarding the BCCI statement's authenticity. Pant hasn't been in great form of late, although his ODI returns since the start of 2021 have been positive. The wicket-keeper's fitness has also come under question, with him looking a touch imbalanced at the crease.

Why was Pant released from the squad? If it was an injury, why didn't the BCCI clearly state the reason? KL Rahul ended up donning the gloves in the first ODI, and while that might not be a bad thing, the wicket-keeper selection situation (read Sanju Samson) is dicey at the moment.

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#1 India don't have a specialist wrist-spinner in the squad

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Axar Patel was unavailable for selection for the first ODI, and Shahbaz Ahmed - who was named as a replacement for Ravindra Jadeja - was named in the playing XI in his absence. Shahbaz played alongside Washington Sundar in the spin-bowling department, with India fielding four pace-bowling options.

Spin turned out to be threatening in Dhaka. Shakib Al Hasan broke the back of the Indian batting order with five wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowled a probing spell and castled Shikhar Dhawan. In contrast, Sundar sent down only five overs and Shahbaz went wicketless.

Had India named a specialist wrist-spinner in the squad, they would've had a major attacking weapon to unleash. Why didn't they name one for Bangladeshi conditions?