"Something Feels Off": Suryakumar Yadav, Gautam Gambhir's Plan Questioned By T20 World Cup Winner
After convincingly winning the first T20I against South Africa by 101 runs, India were brought down to earth by the Proteas in the second T20I. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side failed to chase a 214-run target and lost by 51 runs
After convincingly winning the first T20I against South Africa by 101 runs, India were brought down to earth by the Proteas in the second T20I. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side failed to chase a 214-run target and lost by 51 runs. 2007 T20 World Cup winner Robin Uthappa found little logic in India's batting order change in the second T20I. Under swinging conditions in Mullanpur, India sent Axar Patel to bat at No. 3 ahead of established batters like Yadav and Tilak Varma. Ahead of the five-match series, Yadav had said that from No. 3 to No. 7, the players have to be flexible about their batting positions.
"Well, honestly, that's not how I see it. I'm only going by his (Suryakumar's) words. In the pre-series press conference, he said the opening pair is set, but everyone else are moving pieces who must be flexible. With all due respect, I disagree," Uthappa said on JioHotstar.
"When you're chasing a big score, your solid batters - your best batters - should walk in. If you send a pinch-hitter, then he must play like one. If Axar was sent as a pinch-hitter today, he shouldn't have scored 21 off 21; he should've gone hard and gotten out trying. But even that plan doesn't convince me. After losing a top batter in the first or second over, you need stability at the crease. Something feels off here, and India must fix it before it becomes a habit."
Uthappa said the top three should not be tinkered with.
"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," he said.
"Using a pinch-hitter is fine only in the right scenario - for example, if Abhishek (Sharma) gets out early and you maintain the left-right combination while still sending your best batter. Had he come in at one-drop, he would've gotten around 60 balls; instead, he walked in at No. 4. 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," Uthappa said.
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir