Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has questioned the team’s think tank for the playing XI after the first ODI against South Africa at Ranchi. Chopra reckons India could have played Rishabh Pant ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad in the final XI as the latter is the top-order batter in domestic circuit.
Gaikwad has been in good form and thus he was preferred in the playing XI. However, the right-hander could not grab his opportunity with both hands at number four as he was dismissed after scoring only eight runs.
Meanwhile, Pant has scored 871 runs in 31 matches in the 50-over version at an average of 33.5.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “They are not in favour of playing Rishabh Pant either. When will you playing him? This was the opportunity to slot him in the middle order. They played someone at number four who hasn’t done so before, so was number five. I still don’t understand this team’s batting order. It’s a different type of disorder. The three titans of the golden generation somehow made the match for Team India.”
Meanwhile, Harshit Rana gave a good start to the team, accounting for Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock. Arshdeep Singh then dismissed Aiden Markram and South Africa were left tottering at 11-3 in the run-chase of 350. However, Marco Jansen, Matthew Breetzke, and Corbin Bosch were able to take the game deep and Chopra reckons the Proteas would have won comprehensively if their top-order had fired.
“It seemed like the match would be over soon as Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram were sent packing cheaply. After Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh worked their magic with the ball, we came to know this pitch was a road. If South Africa’s top-order hadn’t been dismissed cheaply, the target might have been chased down in 46.2 overs with wickets to spare. The South African batters kept hitting from both ends. It was only Kuldeep Yadav, who kept striking and his two wickets in an over changed the course of the game. Some of the shots were breathtaking – Dewald Brevis’ no-look six. Marco Jansen carried on from his hitting in Guwahati and struck some towering sixes.”
The renowned commentator praised Harshit Rana, who returned with impressive figures of 3-65 in his quota of 10 overs.
“From start to end, Harshit Rana told everyone at the start why he should be taken seriously. Arshdeep Singh did well eventually, so did Praisdh Krishna. But batting will still be my focus area, not so much with the bowling because the pitch behaved that way.”
The second ODI between India and South Africa will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur on Wednesday.
