New Delhi, Dec 12 Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said promoting Axar Patel to bat at No. 3 in their 51-run defeat in the second T20I to South Africa was not the ideal move, adding that him taking time to find his rhythm also meant that the hosts' top order didn’t click in a desired way.
In the second T20I, India made a surprising move by promoting Axar, usually a floater in the middle order, to number three. It backfired as Axar struggled to get going and made a run-a-ball 21 before falling to pacer Ottniel Baartman.
"From India's point of view, they needed a big contribution from their top three batters. Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav's performance is always important when chasing a big total, because they have the chance to play the most balls. But the top three did not click, and South Africa played very well.
“They used the new ball well. Sending Axar Patel to bat at number three took him a lot of balls to find his rhythm, and it was not an ideal position for him. After that, Ottniel Baartman bowled very straight, with a 'you miss, I hit' style. We saw it in the ODIs too, and he got success again.
“George Linde came into the middle overs and contained the runs with tight bowling. South Africa will be very happy with how they played. They outplayed India in all three departments," said Bangar on JioStar.
The only bright spot for India was left-handed batter Tilak Varma top-scoring with 62, an enterprising knock laced with two fours and five sixes. "He plays proper cricketing shots and doesn't fight the pace. In international cricket, he doesn't just try to hit the 135-140 speed balls to mid-wicket.”
“He plays well in the square leg area and behind, whether with a cut shot or a reverse sweep. That is his strength. His thinking and clarity are amazing, especially in T20s. He also doesn't let the run rate drop even after a wicket falls and that is his tempo.”
“Overall, he is the best player in a crunch situation. He gives you the confidence to either reach a good score or complete a chase," added Bangar.
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