After India Flattened by South Africa, Ravi Shastri Slams Wankhede Curator Sudhir Naik

Ravi Shastri and Wankhede Stadium curator Sudhir Naik were involved in a heated exchange of words after South Africa thrashed India by a record 214 runs in the fifth and deciding ODI in Mumbai on Sunday night. This was the first time South Africa had won a bilateral series in India.

Shastri abused Naik, a former Test batsman, in Marathi. The Team India director, known for his aggressive views, was clearly unhappy with the nature of the wicket that enabled South Africa post a record 438 for four wickets after Ab de Villiers won the toss and decided to bat first.

Naik stood his ground and asked Shastri not to question his credentials. Three South Africans slammed centuries, only the second time this has happened in ODI history.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, too, was critical of the wicket. But at least, he admitted that his bowlers did not have enough firepower to trouble the rampaging South Africans, who simply looted runs. South Africa amassed 229 runs in the last 20 overs and 134 in the last 10.

"If you see the wicket, it was a true batting wicket. There was no turn on offer for the spinners," Dhoni said in his post-match press conference.

"Our fast bowlers, yes, they can swing the ball but when it's flat they are not the ones who can push the batsmen on to the backfoot. Even if we have bowlers who bowl quick, they don't get the same amount of bounce from the same areas, as we don't hit the deck as hard.

"Our strength is entirely different and if you see this wicket, all our bowlers as a unit, you very rarely see everybody going for runs - your fast bowler has gone for runs, your spinners have gone for runs. That was the reason, once the partnership happened and once they looked to accelerate, it was very difficult for us to stop boundaries," Dhoni said. (Don't Ask Me What Went Wrong, Says Dhoni)

Dhoni, who will sit out during the Test series leaving the captaincy to a hot-and-cold Virat Kohli, said the Indian ODI squad was far from "settled" and several gaps had to be filled before the next ICC Champions Trophy and the World Cup in 2019. (Dhoni Had no Flexibility in Bowling Changes, Slams Gavaskar)

Shastri, therefore, has better work to do. A Test debacle against South Africa at home will be like rubbing chili flakes into India's limited-overs wound.

(With inputs from Anurag Dwary)