Sunil Gavaskar and Madan Lal questioned the logic behind demoting vice-captain opener Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli from positions where they have found success for many years and throwing in Ishan Kishan at the top of the order.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and former all-rounder Madan Lal criticised the plan of India team management’s think tank demoting vice-captain Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli to No.3 and No.4 in favour of Ishan Kishan opening the innings with KL Rahul against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
Sunil Gavaskar: Ishan Kishan Is A Hit And Miss Player And Should’ve Walked In At No. 4
India’s chances of making the semi-finals took a body blow on Sunday when they lost to New Zealand by eight wickets, with the team only being able to make a score of 110/7 batting first. New Zealand chased down the target in less than 15 overs.
“It is unfortunate because India has looked more impatient than they normally do in both these matches. If you don’t make runs then you won’t come into the match. A target of 111 can be defended only if a miracle happens. India were outclassed in both the matches. In this format if you don’t get in front early, it becomes difficult,” said Madan Lal.
Sunil Gavaskar said that a young player like Ishan Kishan should not have been given the responsibility of opening the batting in such a crunch game. Instead, Ishan Kishan was dismissed for four runs off eight balls by Trent Boult.
“I don’t know if it is a fear of failure but I know that whatever changes they made to the batting order today did not work. Rohit Sharma is such a great batsman and he has been sent in at No.3. Kohli himself, who has made so many runs at No.3 demotes himself to No.4. A young player like Ishan Kishan has been given the responsibility of opening the batting,” said Sunil Gavaskar.
“Ishan Kishan is a hit-or-miss player and it is better if a batsman like him walks in No.4 or No.5. He could then play according to the situation of the game. Now what has happened is that Rohit Sharma has been told that we don’t trust you to face the left-arm fast bowling of Trent Boult.
“If you do that to a player who has been playing at a position for so many years, he himself will think that maybe he doesn’t have the ability. If Ishan Kishan had made 70-odd runs we would have applauded. But when the ploy doesn’t work, you are going to be criticized,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
Ishan Kishan opened the batting along with KL Rahul while Rohit Sharma dropped to No. 3, but even that move didn’t work. Ishan Kishan scored just 4 runs from 8 balls, while Rohit Sharma made 14 from as many balls in India’s below-par total of 110 for 7 in 20 overs.
Madan Lal: Decision To Demote Rohit Sharma Was Wrong
Madan Lal said that the decision to demote himself and Rohit Sharma may not have been entirely Virat Kohli’s decision, with the presence of the likes of MS Dhoni and Ravi Shastri in India’s team management.
“Many a time there are decisions that the captain simply has to take and the decision to demote Rohit Sharma was wrong. He has been playing for so many years at the top but now the entire battling order changes,” he further added.
India managed 110 for 7 in 20 overs, in which they didn’t effectively score runs in nine of those overs (54 dot balls). Worse, they were just able to hit a single boundary between overs 8 and 15 when two spinners-Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner, were in operation.
Virat Kohli holed out to Trent Boult at long-on off the bowling of Ish Sodhi after scoring 9 of 17 balls. Trent Boult (3/20) and Ish Sodhi (2/17) shared five Indian wickets while conceding just 37 runs in 8 overs.