The Indian team management has finally broken their silence on the big question that everyone is asking: why was Axar Patel dropped for the big Super Eight clash against South Africa on Sunday? Assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak say that the decision was purely tactical.
South Africa thrashed India by 76 runs while the decision to pick Washington Sundar over Axar Patel has come under severe criticism.
“Yeah, we spent so much time deliberating about the eleven over the last couple of days. We were kind of looking at match-ups more in the middle. In hindsight it looks like the right decision (to play Axar), but at the time we felt we needed Rinku as an eighth batter. The decision was based around there,” Ten Doeschate said during the post-match press conference on Sunday.
He added that dropping Axar from the team had nothing to do with his leadership ability and the skills that he brings to the table as a bowling allrounder.
“It’s certainly not to take anything away from Axar and his leadership and how important he is to the team,” Ten Doeschate said.
Batting coach Kotak also clarified that the decison was more tactical looking at the Proteas batting order. He also confirmed that Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav had a chat with Axar before the game.
“Look, Surya and Gautam both spoke to Axar about the decision (to drop him). The reason to play Washy was that they had three left-handers in top five – Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickleton and David Miller – and hence there was a feeling that an off-spinner (takes the ball way from left-hander) should play,” Kotak said during a chat at ICC Mixed Zone.
“Now both De Kock and Ricketon were dismissed by Bumrah and hence Washy wasn’t required to bowl more than two overs (in the game). The actual plan was to bowl Washy inside the Powerplay but that you know can change as per match situation,” Kotak said.
The messaging is not right when the vice-captain (Axar Patel) is dropped for a big match. But Kotak was quick to dismiss the question and said: “Axar has played so much cricket that his confidence won’t be dented because of this move. And as I said, coach and captain must have clearly told him as to why they took such a call.”
When asked the same question of why earlier Shubman Gill and now Axar – both T20I vice captains are dropped – is it some sort of message being passed on by the team management.
“It is not as straightforward as that,” Ten Doeschate replied.
“When you can only choose one of the two (between Axar and Washington), we thought of someone who can bowl in the Powerplay was important,” he continued.
“Axar only occasionally bowls in the powerplay, but we felt that we have got Washy to a point where he’s found a way of being effective there,” he said.
“A big part of the strategy today was how well he bowled in the T20Is when he bowled in the Powerplay. Winning that powerplay was going to be super important. We envisaged him bowling two overs in the powerplay, not knowing South Africa were going to be 30 for three,” he explained.
Looking at how the match played out, Axar looked like an obvious choice to control the middle-overs but in T20 cricket there are days when things don’t go according to plan.
“Washington obviously didn’t bowl in the powerplay tonight, so it looks like we’ve purely gone on who’s going to bowl through the middle, in which case you would choose Axar. But the strategy was around that.
“In a tournament like this, you expect all players to understand that we’re trying to pick the best 11 to win the game, and I hope Axar takes it in the same spirit as well,” he said.
