With India’s top-three batters struggling against Bangladesh spinners in the final session of the third day’s play of the second Test in Dhaka, left-handed batter Axar Patel was promoted to bat at no 4 to join Shubman Gill. While the decision to send him ahead of specialist batters including Virat Kohli surprised many, it seemed to be a tactical call to put in left-right combination aimed at disrupting the rhythm of the Bangladesh bowlers.
However, if that was indeed the case, the in-form Rishabh Pant, also a left-handed batter, should’ve been the one walking in considering the number of overs that were still left to be bowled before the end of day’s play.
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India finished the day with the scorecard reading 45/4 in chase of 145.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said unless Kohli himself asked to be sent later, this wasn’t a good message to the best batsman in the world.
“It didn’t send a good message to Kohli. He is the best batsman in the world. Unless Kohli himself asked for it, then it’s a different matter. We don’t know what happened in the changing room. But it’s hard to understand. Axar has played well, of course,” Gavaskar told told Sony Sports.
Another former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja said while the decision seems a bit strange, he gave the team management the benefit of doubt.
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“He (Kohli) is the world’s best player. 15 overs were left. Saba Karim said it could have been because of the left-right combination, which is an obvious thought, but then I feel – did Rishabh Pant take a sleeping pill? I will also say that it is easy for us to say this from here; we don’t know if someone was not feeling well,” Jadeja said.
As it turned out, Kohli did bat on the third day after the dismissal of Shubman Gill but he too fell cheaply.
Gavaskar further added that India should do away with the left-hand, right-hand combination experiment.
After India bowled out Bangladesh for 231, Mehidy Hasan Miraz ripped through India’s top order with three scalps, setting the stage for a tense finish.
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