While batting first against South Africa, India was in some sort of trouble at 90-4 after 12.3 overs. The in-form Hardik Pandya was dismissed after scoring nine runs and the team management and Rishabh Pant decided to send Axar Patel at number six.
Thus, it meant Dinesh Karthik, who is in fine form with the bat, batted at number seven. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reckons it was a mistake to send Axar Patel ahead of in-form Dinesh Karthik.
Patel could only manage 10 runs off 11 balls as he also struggled to get going. On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik also struggled on the difficult pitch in the early phase of his innings. Karthik was able to finish the innings on a high as he scored a quickfire knock of 30 runs off just 21 balls.
Aakash Chopra said while talking on his YouTube Channel, “The question is why did they send Axar before Dinesh? It is not very often that you get the chance to play more balls and if you don’t go in such a case or you are not sent, I think it’s a mistake.”
“Dinesh Karthik, I love him as a finisher, once again he has finished strongly, but if more overs are left, will he not come to bat. If you are sending Axar ahead of him, you are doing wrong in my opinion.”
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant was dismissed while trying to play a big shot against Keshav Maharaj but could not get to the pitch of the ball.
“Rishabh Pant tried too early to hit a six against spin and got out to Keshav Maharaj. His numbers between the first and second innings are very different. There was an attempt to play a big shot here but was he hasty, did he make a mistake?”
Furthermore, Hardik Pandya was dismissed after scoring nine runs by Wayne Parnell as the left-arm seamer got the ball to move back into the right-hander to castle the stumps.
“Hardik Pandya was chancy, the 10-12 balls he played. We said the ball stayed low but the ball did not stay that low. He was playing a full delivery on the back foot and it hit his stumps.”
The third T20I between India and South Africa will be played at Vishakhapatnam on Tuesday.
