Former Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar feels Rohit Sharma should be given credit for using Axar Patel ahead of Ravindra Jadeja in the ongoing T20 World Cup. While Jadeja has gone wicketless in three matches of the World Cup, Patel has picked three wickets in as many games. 

Rohit has been spot on with his bowling changes and field placements in the ongoing T20 World Cup so far. The Indian captain also gave the 17th over to Axar Patel against arch-rivals Pakistan and conceded only two runs as he bowled three dots against Imad Wasim, which created more pressure on the opposition.

Bangar, India’s former batting coach, said that Axar Patel is taller and hit the bat higher than Jadeja and thus Rohit backed him.

“Credit to the team management that they used horses for courses? Why Jadeja wasn’t really used and why Axar was used on a pitch which had a little bit of bounce? So that’s where the answer lies. If there is extra bounce, Axar is obviously slightly taller. He hits the ball higher on the bat and you have to give credit to Rohit the captain, because he didn’t really go by pedigree or reputation. He went to the bowler who was considered to be most effective or who were likely to be more effective on those surfaces,” Bangar said on Star Sports ahead of India’s first Super 8 clash against Afghanistan.

When asked if Kuldeep Yadav should be included in India’s playing XI, Bangar said he hopes that finger spinners deliver for India in the West Indies conditions. 

“So, I think the Indian team’s campaign has been pretty spot on. Let’s hope that, in these conditions, finger spin is going to be effective. Because if you look at the West Indies team and they know these conditions better than any other team because they play so much cricket out here, are they using Akeal Hossein and Gudakesh Motie,” Bangar concluded.

India will begin their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.