Former India batter Robin Uthappa has slammed the Indian team management for their decision to send Axar Patel at No. 3 against South Africa in the second T20I in New Chandigarh.
After the match, Uthappa said on JioHotstar that the top three batters should be fixed in any team.
“Your top three must be fixed, whether you’re setting a total or chasing one. These are specialist roles. Flexibility has its place, but that comes after the first six overs, once you’ve built a foundation. You can’t build that foundation when players don’t know their roles on a given day. Using a pinch-hitter is fine only in the right scenario — for example, if Abhishek gets out early and you maintain the left-right combination while still sending your best batter.”
Chasing a big target of 214, India lost their vice-captain Shubman Gill on the fifth ball of the innings. But then India surprisingly sent Axar to bat at No. 3. The experiment went wrong, and Axar could only score 21 off 21 balls, including one four and one six at a strike rate of 100. Eventually, India lost the game by 51 runs and the series is now tied at 1-1 with three more matches to go.
Uthappa also expressed concern that this kind of constant experimentation can hurt India in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“This constant experimentation has been going on for a while, and I worry it will hurt India at a crucial stage of a major tournament. You don’t want that happening at a World Cup,” he added.
For the latest sports news follow- Revsportz
