Ajit Agarkar is unsure about Team India’s plan to hold Yuzvendra Chahal back while bowling during the second ODI against the West Indies on Sunday.
Yuzvendra Chahal registered figures of 1-69 in his nine overs as the hosts set the Men in Blue a massive 312-run target at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The visitors, though, overhauled the target with two wickets and as many deliveries to spare to seal the series with a game to go.
Ajit Agarkar Doesn’t Know The Reason For Holding Yuzvendra Chahal Back As He Feels The Leg Spinner Should Have Been Introduced Earlier
During a discussion on FanCode, Ajit Agarkar was asked if he would have liked Yuzvendra Chahal introduced earlier into the attack.
He replied in the affirmative, elaborating: “I don’t quite know what is the plan regarding holding Chahal back. He has done really well whenever he has bowled. Today you could see that when there are explosive hitters in the end, maybe he was a little bit greedy trying to pick wickets towards the end of the innings.”
The former Indian pacer pointed out that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) leg-spinner should have been used as a wicket-taking weapon earlier in the Windies’ innings.
Ajit Agarkar reasoned: “It’s not always easy, doesn’t matter how good a bowler you are, once there are set batters at the crease, once there is a little bit of license, these guys have a lot of power. So why not get him in the game early and try and pick up wickets up front.”
Yuzvendra Chahal was introduced into the attack only in the 17th over when the hosts had reached 99/1. Although he did dismiss Brandon King for a duck, the wily spinner was taken to the cleaners towards the end of the West Indies innings. He was the most expensive bowler alongside Shardul Thakur as he returned with figures of 1/69 in 9 overs.
Ajit Agarkar Admitted That Deepak Hooda Dismissed Kyle Mayers But Pointed Out It Was A Slightly Soft Dismissal Against The Run Of Play
While acknowledging that Deepak Hooda got rid of Kyle Mayers as soon as he was introduced into the attack, Ajit Agarkar felt keeping Yuzvendra Chahal’s overs for the death proved counterproductive.
After opting to bat first, West Indies got off to a fantastic start as openers Kyle Mayers and Shai Hope put on 65 runs inside 10 overs and the duo was hitting the Indian pacers all around the park. However, it was Deepak Hooda, who came onto bowl in the 10th over, to end the partnership between Kyle Mayers and Shai Hope.
He explained: “I know Mayers got out to Hooda, but it was a slightly soft dismissal, against the run of play; he (Hooda) came first ball, and he (Mayers) played a loose shot, but apart from that, you let the game carry and let West Indies build partnerships, and then it doesn’t matter who bowls at the end.”
Ajay Jadeja reckoned Team India was taken by surprise by the early onslaught from the West Indies openers. Shai Hope (115), Kyle Mayers (39) Shamarh Brooks (35), and Nicholas Pooran (74) were the highest run-getters for the home team. For India, Shubman Gill (43), Shreyas Iyer (63), Sanju Samson (54), and Axar Patel (64*) were the top run-getters.
He observed: “Indians were probably surprised to start with, the way they attacked you. Over number 7, you (West Indies) were 70 for no loss, and at that time you were worried. You brought in Shardul Thakur for one over, then you brought in Axar Patel for one over, then eventually over number 10, you went to Deepak Hooda.”