Aakash Chopra picked three major takeaways from the recently-concluded three-match T20I series between India and New Zealand, where the Rohit Sharma-led home side registered a 3-0 whitewash with a 73-run win at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Rohit Sharma and his Team India side may have thumped New Zealand 3-0 to register yet another T20I series whitewash. However, they still have a couple of areas to sort, according to former cricketer Aakash Chopra.
Aakash Chopra: Rohit Sharma And KL Rahul Must Always Open And Finger Spin Can Work In T20s
His first major takeaway was that India should retain their opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, who scored a half-century stand in the opener in Jaipur before smashing a record 117-run stand in the second game. India, however, rested KL Rahul for the final inconsequential tie in Kolkata, picking Ishan Kishan as the opener, but Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan once again added a 69 run stand for the first wicket.
Aakash Chopra advised India to neither think of left-right combinations nor think about match-ups, as they did in the game against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final, which they lost.
Aakash Chopra opined, “Rohit-Rahul must always open. Don’t think of left-right or match-ups.”
Major takeaways from #IndvNZ series
1. Rohit-Rahul must always open. Don’t think of left-right or match-ups.
2. Finger spin can work in T20s. Ashwin-Axar-Santner. And it’s okay for LAS to bowl to LHB.
3. India’s middle-lower order far from sorted. Will take time.— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 21, 2021
Aakash Chopra then opined, “Finger spin can work in T20s. Ashwin-Axar-Santner. And it’s okay for LAS to bowl to LHB.”
Axar Patel picked four wickets in three games at an economy rate of just 6, while Ravichandran Ashwin, who was rested for the final game, picked three wickets in two matches at an economy rate of just 5.25. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner, picked as many wickets as Axar Patel, conceding at 6.58 runs per over. However, Aakash Chopra said that it’s completely fine for a left-arm spinner to bowl to the left-handed batsman.
Aakash Chopra: India’s Middle Order Far From Being Sorted
In his final takeaway, the veteran former cricketer admitted that India still needs to work on their middle-order (No.4 to 7), who scored only 51 runs off 45 balls, laced with three boundaries and one six, in the third T20I with Rishabh Pant scoring a mere 4 off 6.
Aakash Chopra said,” India’s Middle Order far from sorted. Will take time.”
Aakash Chopra feels that it will take time for India to sort it out. India will still have a lot of T20I series to work out their best XI, with star players like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah yet to join.
In Virat Kohli’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav batted at number 3 on a couple of occasions and shared success and failure on respective occasions(63 runs average 21 in 3 games). Rishabh Pant also failed to deliver on a couple of occasions(33 runs average 33 in 3 games).
Venkatesh Iyer was tested as the finisher, but he failed to live up to the hype on his debut series( 36 runs average 18 in 3 games). Moreover, Shreyas Iyer didn’t bat at his ideal position throughout the series(30 runs in 2 innings average 15). Aakash Chopra said fixing the middle-order will take time.
On his first assignment as Team India’s permanent head coach, Rahul Dravid guided his team to a 3-0 clean sweep over the 2021 T20 World Cup finalist. India played dominant cricket throughout the series as Kane Williamson-less New Zealand failed to give a tough challenge to the hosts.
India beat New Zealand by 73 runs in the 3rd inconsequential T20I to complete the whitewash in a comprehensive fashion. The team management gave a chance to a couple of young players in the series as the seniors like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja were rested to manage their workload.
India 184 for 7 (Rohit 56, Kishan 29, Chahar 21*, Santner 3-27) beat New Zealand 111 (Guptill 51, Axar 3-9, Harshal 2-23) by 73 runs