Sunil Gavaskar has defended India’s decision to promote Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul in the second ODI against New ZealandThe former India captain also praised Rahul’s batting.
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Sunil Gavaskar backed India’s decision to send Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul against New Zealand(Photo: X)
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has supported the team management’s decision to send Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul during the second ODI against New Zealand in WellingtonThe move attracted attention after Axar failed to make a big contribution with the bat, but Gavaskar believes there was a clear reason behind the decision.
India promoted the left-handed all-rounder to No5 during their chase of 135 runsHowever, Axar managed just seven runs from 17 deliveries before getting dismissedKL Rahul came in later and remained unbeaten on 26, helping India stay ahead when rain brought the match to an end.
Speaking on Sony Sports, Gavaskar explained how sending a left-handed batter into the middle can disturb a bowling attack’s plans and create scoring opportunities.
Sunil Gavaskar Explains The Reason Behind Axar Patel’s Promotion
Gavaskar said that a change in the batting order can make things difficult for bowlers who have been bowling to right-handed battersWhen a left-hander comes in, the bowlers need to adjust their line and length, which can also affect their plans against the right-hander at the other end.
“The bowlers have slight difficulty if a left-handed batter comes because you have to change the line and length you would have caught for a right-hander, and in trying to do that, your line can change slightly even to the right-hander, where more chances of getting runs are created.
There was nothing wrong with that thought processIf Axar had scored runs, you would have said how good the captaincy wasSuch moves work at times and don’t work on other occasions, and it didn’t work this timeYou also knew there was a solid player like Rahul after himThat’s why you experiment at times,” Gavaskar said.
The former India opener added that such decisions should be judged by the thinking behind them rather than only by the final resultAxar’s promotion did not work on this occasion, but Gavaskar felt the team management had a reasonable plan.
Gavaskar Picks KL Rahul As India’s Best Batter
Gavaskar also named KL Rahul as the Indian batter who impressed him the most in the Wellington ODIRahul walked in during a difficult phase and showed patience against New Zealand’s fast bowlers.
“KL Rahul impressed me the most because of the way he faced the bowlingHe came into a difficult situationHe first hit the short ball along the ground and then hit over the topHe probably knew that the square-leg boundary was slightly shorter at one end, and he took advantage of that.
Being an opening batter, he will open in Tests; he was playing with a straight bat and soft handsHe was looking solidAt the same time, he was hitting fours when required, which meant he was maintaining the pressure on the bowlersThe bowlers might have bowled a few good deliveries, but he scored runs whenever he got a chance,” Gavaskar pointed out.
India Take 2-0 Lead In ODI Series
India were bowled out for 134 in 41 overs after batting firstDuring the chase, New Zealand’s bowlers put the visitors under pressure, but India reached 113/7 in 26 overs before rain stopped play.
India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score and were declared winners by four runsThe victory gave Shubman Gill’s team a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
India and New Zealand will next meet in the third ODI in Hamilton on November 10.
