India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has revealed they wanted to change the pattern after India’s top order struggled against off-spin in the group stage of the T20 World Cup. With Abhishek Sharma out-of-form, India’s think tank decided to include Sanju Samson as an opener and pushed Ishan Kishan down to number three.

Tilak Varma was also pushed down the order and batted according to the match situation. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson was able to grab his opportunity at the top, scoring three vital knocks in the knockout matches. Samson scored a match-winning knock of 89 runs off just 46 balls in the summit clash against New Zealand on Sunday.

“Abhishek was sick in the first match and didn’t score runs. Then we were losing wickets in the very first over for four matches. The batting momentum I wanted wasn’t coming. Rather than being stubborn, it was better to break the pattern because the other teams had figured it out,” said Kotak in an interview with RevSportz.

“We decided to play two wicketkeepers, make Sanju open, put Ishan (Kishan) at number three, and change Tilak’s (Varma) order. We decided to start with a lefty and a righty so Sanju could attack the off-spinner and disturb the opposition’s planning.”

On the other hand, Kotak revealed that Shivam Dube’s only aim was not to bowl a no-ball in the semifinal clash against England. Dube was preferred ahead of Axar Patel to bowl the 20th over when England needed 30 runs off the final over.

He concluded, “Shivam Dube was looking to bowl from behind the crease just to avoid a no-ball. His aim wasn’t to stop the batter from hitting; his aim was just to not bowl a no-ball. Let (Jofra) Archer hit three sixes, no problem. If you look at it, we would have won that match by 20-25 runs easily. It only got tight because (Jacob) Bethell played an outstanding innings.”

India registered a seven-run win against England after Dube was able to do his job.