Sunil Gavaskar named a player, spin allrounder Ravindra Jadeja whose services the Men In Blue are ‘greatly missing’, even though India successfully sealed the series against West Indies.
India may have secured a 2-0 unassailable lead over the West Indies and pocketed the ODI series, but chinks remain, most predominantly in their batting. In the 2nd ODI, India were reduced to 43/3, after which a 91-run partnership between KL Rahul(49) and Suryakumar Yadav(64) steadied the innings. However, once the alliance ended, India lost their way and only ended up with 237/9 when at one stage 250 or more seemed easily gettable.
Sunil Gavaskar Surprised To See Rishabh Pant Open In The 2nd ODI
The idea of wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant opening the innings for India and KL Rahul batting at No. 4 did not thrill Sunil Gavaskar, who feels both should be used for different roles in the team. The former India captain also rued the absence of a star all-rounder down the order, who would score runs, pick wickets and remained brilliant in the field but is, unfortunately, missing out due to injury.
“To be honest with you, I was surprised to see Rishabh Pant up the order because I have always felt that he is probably better off at 6 or 7, depending on how the team has gone. He should be the finisher. My feeling is that Rahul will partner Rohit as the opener, and Surya would probably bat at No. 4,” Gavaskar said mid-innings of the 2nd ODI.
In an unexpected move, Rishabh Pant walked in to open the Indian innings with Rohit Sharma in the second game of the three-match ODI series against the West Indies. The team management made one change to the line-up as KL Rahul, who missed the previous game due to a personal engagement, came into the side in place of Ishan Kishan.
Sunil Gavaskar: India feeling Absence Of Ravindra Jadeja At No. 7-8
Ravindra Jadeja, the Saurashtra all-rounder is undergoing his final stage of recovery post his knee injury, and is also unavailable for the ODIs and T20Is against the West Indies as well. In his absence, India are trying with Deepak Hooda as an all-rounder in the ODI series against West Indies. Venkatesh Iyer has been added to India’s T20I squad. The 33-year-old Ravindra Jadeja has represented India in 57 Tests, 168 ODIs and 55 T20Is.
“Then maybe at 5, you will have somebody like a Rishabh Pant and then a Washington Sundar. Don’t forget, India are feeling the absence of Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7, 8. He was scoring so many runs and hitting the big shots. Brilliant fielder and picking up wickets in the middle order. He is being missed greatly by this Indian team.”
Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on KL Rahul’s bizarre run-out which took place as a result of a small mix-up between him and Suryakumar Yadav. Returning for the second run, KL Rahul stopped and stuttered for just a moment and that was enough to find him short of the crease. Sunil Gavaskar analyzed the run-out, pointing out the exact moment that could have caused the run-out.
“You could perhaps sense that Rahul was looking at the fielder, and when he started that second run and looked, he thought that Surya was not coming back for the second.
“Surya had taken that first run pretty casually. He hadn’t rushed for it. And when Rahul was half way down, Surya had barely left the batting crease to come back for the second. That is where that caused a little bit of confusion in Rahul’s mind,” said the legendary India batter.
India defended a sub-par score of 237 by a 44-run margin to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, thanks to an inspired spell of 4/12 in nine overs from the tall pacer Prasidh Krishna.