NewKerala.com

Batting Order Blunder: Why Axar at No. 3 Backfired for India

Former batting coach Sanjay Bangar has questioned India's decision to send Axar Patel in at number three during the second T20I. He believes it was not an ideal position for Axar and caused the top order to misfire while chasing. Bangar praised South Africa's disciplined bowling, particularly from Ottniel Baartman and George Linde. He did highlight Tilak Varma's excellent 62-run knock as a major positive for the Indian team.

Key Points: Sanjay Bangar Criticizes Axar Patel No. 3 Batting Role

  • Bangar says Axar Patel's promotion disrupted India's top-order rhythm in the chase
  • South Africa's Ottniel Baartman bowled a tight, straight line to contain the batters
  • Tilak Varma's 62 was a bright spot with his clear thinking and shot selection
  • George Linde's tight middle-over bowling helped South Africa control the game
2 min read

Batting at No. 3 was not an ideal position for Axar: Bangar

Former coach Sanjay Bangar says promoting Axar Patel to bat at No. 3 was not ideal and hurt India's top order in the T20I defeat to South Africa.

"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. - Sanjay Bangar"

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.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a casual cricket fan, this is confusing. Why fix something that isn't broken? Axar has been so effective coming in later. It felt like they overthought the strategy. Glad to see Tilak Varma getting praise though, he was class.
A
Aditya G
Completely agree with Bangar sir. The top order collapsing is becoming a pattern. When you're chasing a big total, you need your best players of pace to face the new ball. Sending Axar up just disrupted the momentum. Hope they learn before the next match.
T
Tilak V
While I understand the criticism, let's not be too harsh on the team management. They are trying to build depth and flexibility before big tournaments. Sometimes experiments fail. The positive is Tilak Varma's knock - he looks like a future star for sure! ✨
P
Priya S
Yaar, it was a puzzling move. Axar is a match-winner with the ball and a power-hitter. Why put him in a position where he has to build an innings? It wasted precious balls in a chase. South Africa outplayed us, no doubt. Need to bounce back strong.
M
Michael C
Interesting tactical analysis from Bangar. The 'you miss, I hit' line about Baartman is very accurate. Sometimes you just have to credit the opposition's execution. India has the talent, just needs more consistency in decision-making at the top.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50