AHMEDABAD: The Indian team management likes to put the team before the players. Whether it was Shubman Gill replacing Rohit Sharma as ODI captain or whether he was eventually sacked from the T20 World Cup squad despite being the vice-captain, it was all seen as an attempt to kill the team’s “superstar culture” and put the needs of the team first.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!This line of thinking underlines the appeal to judges Axar PatelIndia appointed T20 World Cup vice-captain and played washington sundar Replaced him in the Super 8 match against South Africa.Axar’s rise as an international cricketer began when he resurrected India’s innings by batting at number five against the same opponent in the previous final. However, the team management used countermeasures to introduce Sundar, who had just recovered from a rib fracture 12 days ago.
“I don’t think it’s that simple,” was all assistant coach Ryan Ten Duchard said of the vice-captain’s treatment.Meanwhile, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said, “Aqsa has played so much cricket and his confidence will not be dampened by this move. As I said, the coach and captain must have told him clearly why he had to accept such a decision.”It is puzzling why Washington’s off-spin is considered more effective against the three left-handers in South Africa’s batting order.
“We focused more on the games in the middle order. In hindsight, it seems like the right decision (to play against Axar), but at the time we felt we needed Rinku as the eighth batsman,” Doschate said. “Axar has only bowled occasionally in the Powerplay but we feel we have got Washy to a point where he has found a way to work,” he added.“Both de Kock and Richton have been dismissed by Bumrah now, so Vashi doesn’t need to bowl more than two overs (in the game). The actual plan is to bowl in the Powerplay but you know, that may change depending on the match situation,” Kotak said.Interestingly, even with Miller’s strong performance, Washington only threw two rounds.
On the face of it, Axar has a good record of left-arm spin bowling against left-handers. Interestingly, Washington was not even considered for the Asia Cup last September at a spin-friendly pitch in the UAE. South Africa’s insistence on using their experienced left-handed spinner Keshav Maharaj against six strong left-handed Indian batsmen showed an error in the thought process of the Indian team management.Bowling aside, Duchard gave a vague answer to the question of why Washington, ranked fifth in scoring with a career average of 16 points and a field goal percentage of 130, is scoring more than 10 points per round. “If Aksa comes in, we will use him in that position because we are trying to extend our batting power,” Doshart said. Doshat insisted there was no panic in the camp. However, as India enters the business phase of the tournament, more clarity is needed.
