Former Indian wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik questioned India’s playing XI for the third T20I against the West Indies. The former gloveman slammed India’s obsession with all-rounders and backing batting depth over specialist bowlers.
India made two changes to their final XI, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prince Yadav coming in for Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav. However, India stuck with their playing combination of a all-rounder (Axar Patel) batting at number eight.
India could not defend the target of 250 runs in the second game at Ranchi as all the bowlers conceded their runs at an economy rate of more than 11.
“I don’t know if this is the right XI. When you are going for 200s constantly, why wouldn’t you play five good bowlers and back your top seven to do a job? Why do you need your No.8 to bat under so much pressure? Axar Patel is a decent batter. I feel you should go for solid frontline bowlers, and have Axar as the fifth bowler. Then Naman Dhir or Nitish Kumar Reddy can be the sixth bowler,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“If your fifth bowling option is them, then you are putting yourself under immense pressure. I understand the logic of constantly bat till No.8, but beyond a point, when you are seeing bowlers in front of you going for runs, why would you keep having that as your combination?” he added.
The RCB assistant coach reckons even a target of 270-280 runs can be chased down at the Holkar Stadium, Indore.
“Even 270-280 can be chased here, it is that type of ground. Mishits go for sixes. Bowlers, as it is, have very little margin for error, and in this ground it is worse. Indian batters will give everything they have to put a solid score on the board. But I do hope there is something in it for the bowlers as well. Anything is possible in terms of the score; anything can be chased, and that is a fact,” Dinesh Karthik said.
On the other hand, former Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane said the changes were expected in the third T20I.
“These changes were expected. Kuldeep, just because of the conditions, it is a small ground. Nitish Kumar Reddy coming in, gives the option of bowling and batting. Prince Yadav bowls good yorkers,” he said.
India are 169-6 after 14.2 overs.
