According to former head coach Ravi Shastri, India’s crushing defeat to South Africa in their Super 8 opener was the “shakeup” championship favorites needed heading into the final stages of the T20 World Cup.
After suffering a crushing 76-run loss to South Africa in their Super 8 opener in Ahmedabad on Sunday, India will be eager to mount a formidable recovery against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday.
India had won 12 straight matches across the previous two T20 World Cup editions before suffering their first setback against the Proteas.
“You win 12 matches on the trot, there’s bound to be an off day. And I’m glad it has come early. It might just be the shakeup India needed,” PTI quoted Shastri as saying on the latest episode of The ICC Review.
“It might also make them rethink their strategy as to the composition of the side going ahead. They would have learned from that last experience that they’re not going to take things for granted because in this Super Eight if you lose one more (match), then you’re really putting yourself under serious pressure.”
Speaking about the lineup for the pivotal game on Thursday, Shastri suggested that India include an additional spinner in light of the spin-friendly conditions in Chennai. He supports the return of vice-captain Axar Patel, who was excluded in the last game in favour of Washington Sundar.
“They have to bring him (Axar Patel) back. You need that experience. I would say play both (Patel and Sundar). Give yourself that extra option. Because on a given day, you’re bound to have one bowler who’s going to have an off day. Like for example, Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday,” Shastri noted.
“If Axar Patel is playing, he might be batting at No.8. You have got Hardik Pandya at No.5, you’ve got Shivam Dube at No.6, you’ve got Washington Sundar at No.7. Axar can go at No.5 as well. Now, if eight batters can’t do the job in T20 cricket, then something’s wrong, especially with that kind of firepower. Where you’re missing out is you’re not giving yourself that extra option of a bowler, which I think is important.”
Australia legend and member of the ICC Hall of Fame Ricky Ponting believes that India missed a chance by not fielding Axar against the Proteas and anticipates that the home team would pitch their best lineup.
Ponting, who has led Australia to two ODI World Cup triumphs, said, “Listening to the commentary, the reason Axar didn’t play (against South Africa) is because of the left handers in the opposition side. But there’s still some right handers there. It just comes down to the art of the captain of being able to use Axar at the right time.”
“I would be going back to the basics. I’d be just looking at their lineup. Who’s our best XI for the conditions in Chennai? If that has Axar Patel in it, great. If it has Kuldeep Yadav in it, that’s the other one that I’d be thinking about bringing back because it doesn’t matter with him if it’s left-hand or right-hand. He can bowl wrong ones and spin the ball away from the left-hand outside edge of both those batters,” he added.
