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Axar Patel was sent to bat at number 4 position in second ODI against West Indies.© AFP
Former India batter Aakash Chopra has questioned the batting line-up of the team after the side’s six-wicket loss to West Indies in the second ODI in Barbados on Saturday. The batting audition of India’s World Cup aspirants didn’t go as per plan on a bouncy track as West Indies levelled the three-match series with a comfortable victory, riding on superb bowling efforts from Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie. Indian team management’s decision to rest skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli badly backfired as none of the middle-order batters could not cope with the pace, bounce and turn, getting all-out for 181.
Ishan Kishan (55 off 55 balls) and Shubman Gill (34 off 49 balls) started well with a solid 90-run opening stand but rest of the batters failed to live up to the expectations.
India sent Axar Patel at number 4 that raised a few eyebrows, especially after the batter got out for one run off eight balls.
“Axar Patel was sent at No. 4 – how, why, when, where? I have a lot of respect and admiration for Axar but Axar is never going to play at No. 4. What are his chances of playing for India at No. 4 from the World Cup or the Asia Cup perspective? I don’t see him playing there in 50-over cricket,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“I have another question – is it tenable? Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will open and Virat Kohli will play at No. 3 and all three are right-handers. If you want a left-right combination so much, will you play a left-hander by sending one of them down the order? That’s not going to happen – so what was Axar Patel doing at No. 4?” he added.
In reply to India’s 181 all out, West Indies survived a lively spell from Shardul Thakur (3/42 in 8 overs) before skipper Shai Hope (63 not out, 80 balls) and young Keacy Carty (48 not out, 65 balls) added 91 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to close the game in 36.4 overs and break a chain of nine successive bilateral defeats since December, 2019.
(With PTI Inputs)
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