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'Axar went for runs. Rishabh thought that...': India great dissects Pant's tactic of not using Chahal's 4 overs vs SA
IND vs SA: Axar (1/40), Bhuveneshwar (1/43) and Harshal (1/43) picked up one wicket apiece, while Chahal, who went wicketless, bowled just 2.1 overs in the T20I series opener.
Top knocks by Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller took South Africa to a seven-wicket over India in the first T20I of the five-match series in Delhi on Thursday. India, led by Rishabh Pant, posted an imposing 211 for four after being put to bat first. But the bowling contingent was unable to halt the Van der Dussen-Miller pair that shared a match-winning partnership of 131 runs. (Also Read | 'Let him do something first, then compare him to top-notch players': Ex-PAK captain dismisses Umran vs Shoaib debate)
With only four runs left to win in the last over, van der Dussen sent the very first delivery of Yuzvendra Chahal for a boundary and claimed a historical. For India, Axar Patel (1/40), Bhuveneshwar Kumar (1/43) and Harshal Patel (1/43) scalped one wicket apiece, while Chahal, who went wicketless, bowled just 2.1 overs in the series opener. Pant's tactic of not using Chahal's full quota of overs baffled former players as well.
Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has also questioned Pant's tactic, saying Chahal has the ability to pick wickets despite giving away runs in initial overs. Zaheer said Pant might have thought of avoiding spin after Axar bled 19 runs off his final six deliveries.
“Not using Yuzvendra Chahal’s full quota of four overs is something Rishabh Pant will look at in hindsight and team management will have conversations around. Because we have seen Chahal do that – he’s having a tough day but having that ability to come back and take wickets. And what the Indian team required to win this game was to bring the next batter in. So the call was in your hand,” Zaheer told Cricbuzz.
“Maybe in the hindsight, Rishabh Pant will definitely try and analyse the game and see what he could have done differently. Maybe Axar’s over went for runs could have given him the signal that maybe spin is not the right option now."
"Ability of Chahal is greater than that. He could have created an opportunity – he can go for runs but can give you wickets. The game would have been different," he further added.
Notably, Chahal ended up as the leading wicket-taker of the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) edition with 27 plucks to his name. Ashish Nehra, who had coached Gujarat Titans to title victory in the expanded 10-team tournament, was also critical of Pant's decision. Chahal returned 0/26 in 2.1 overs.
“The opposition scored 212 and Chahal bowled merely two overs. It wasn't as if he conceded 22 runs in one over. You know that the runs are flowing. Even Axar Patel bowled an over to the left-handed David Miller. So, it was quite surprising for me that a bowler like Yuzvendra Chahal bowled only two,” said Nehra.
“Even Rassie van der Dussen was there. Even if you're looking at the left-right combination, you did bowl Axar Patel. So, I think you should've bowled Chahal. I can understand the thinking that you would want to contain the flow of runs, but once David Miller started hitting sixes off almost every over, you had to bring Chahal in," he added.
