"Underutilised…": Ex-India Star Points Out SKY's 'Obvious Mistake' vs SA

Former Indian cricket team batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes that all-rounder Axar Patel was ‘underutilised’ in the first two T20I encounters against South Africa. Following India’s loss in the second game of the four-match series on Sunday, Manjrekar said that although India are playing Axar as the third spinner with Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, the team management has failed to use him properly. While the track did provide some help to the spinners, Axar bowled just one over in the match. Manjrekar was not pleased with the decision and called it an “obvious mistake” by captain Suryakumar Yadav. 

“What are we doing with Axar Patel? Why are you playing him? Give a little clarity. Axar Patel, one over in Kingsmead, Durban and here also just one over. On a pitch where six of the seven wickets were picked up by spinners, he bowled just one over,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“In my opinion, he is being underutilised as a resource. We are saying that you are playing three spinners but you are unable to play them properly. I am not thinking much about the batting failure but not bowling Axar Patel was an obvious mistake on Surya’s part,” the former India batter added.

Akaash Chopra also pointed out that Tristan Stubbs had a bit of difficulty while playing against spinners and a couple of more overs for Axar could have done the trick for India in the match.

“That was a thing that stood out here as Tristan Stubbs, who played well, wasn’t able to pick length properly at the start. He was going back against full deliveries. He is a quality player and he showed in the end how and why, but Gerald Coetzee came as an out-of-syllabus question and I feel he will get one-and-a-half to two crores extra in the auction because he also hit sixes,” Chopra said.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s magical craftiness en route a maiden fifer remained a mere footnote as South Africa rode on the stubbornness of Tristan Stubbs to eke out a three-wicket win over India.

The four-match series is now level at 1-1. But SA’s victory, which also halted India’s 11-match winning streak, did not come without its share of drama.

The first hint of a topsy-turvy night came when India limped to 124 for six on a quick, bouncy pitch after getting the invitation to bat first.

The Proteas were at one stage 66 for six and 86 for seven, which eventually transpired into 128 for seven, as Chakravarthy continued his international resurgence with a five-wicket haul (5/17).

But SA found two valiant soldiers in determined Stubbs (47 not out, 41b, 7×4) and aggressive Gerald Coetzee (19 not out, 9b, 2×4, 1×6) who added a precious 42 runs for the eighth wicket alliance to carry their side past the tape.

(With PTI inputs)