Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu has questioned the team management for sending Axar Patel at number five in the second ODI against New Zealand at Hnry Stadium, Wellington on Saturday.
The batting promotion didn’t work for the visitors as Patel was dismissed cheaply after scoring seven runs off 17 balls when they were chasing a below-par target of 135.
Furthermore, Patel was dismissed for a duck in the series opener when he had batted at number five. Rayudu reckons the team’s think tank can of adding Ishan Kishan in the mix if they want to maintain a right-left hand batting combination.
“I just felt that Axar Patel, in these given conditions, maybe he is not ready to bat at No.5. At No.6 or No.7, he can still come in and do a job. But I just feel that at No.5, you need a proper batter who can handle these conditions. If Axar Patel can do lower down the order, maybe we can look at Ishan Kishan going forward, because we need a batter to bat along with Shreyas and KL. We either need to get Naman Dhir up or get Ishan Kishan into the mix, because that is the only one area where I have seen a little bit of a lack. It is a good lesson for the Indian team going forward, but all in all, we played some decent cricket,” Rayudu said on Cricbuzz.
On the other hand, former Indian spinner Murali Kartik said India should promote Axar Patel when they need quick runs.
“At that point of time, if you need to send Axar Patel, it has to be with a brief that he is going to have a go at everything and try and upset the bowlers. The message should be that even if we lose you, if you get a quick-fire 15-20 and then you throw the bowlers off guard, then that is a different thing. But it seemed as if he was trying to come and apply himself, which was not needed at that point,” he said.
The third ODI between India and New Zealand will be played at Seddon Park, Hamilton, on Tuesday.
