Sending Axar Patel to bat ahead of Dinesh Karthik may seem odd but top-order batsman Shreyas Iyer has defended the decision taken in the second T20 against South Africa, saying it is worth stealing a couple of runs (rotating the strike). Seeing the circumstances, this was done. This strategy did not work and Axar struggled to score runs. His dismissal in the 17th over reduced India’s score to 112 for six.
Coming to bat at number seven, Karthik’s unbeaten 30 helped India reach 148 for six. Shreyas told reporters after the match, “We had adopted such a strategy earlier also. When Axar landed at the crease, we had seven overs left. He can take a couple of runs and rotate the strike.
Iyer said, “Also then there was no need to hit the crease with the first ball. DK (Karthik) can do that, but he has been more beneficial to us after 15 overs, where he can play long shots as soon as he hits the crease.” Shreyas argued that even Karthik should Had to struggle to score runs on this wicket too.
Iyer further said, “Even in the beginning, he (Karthik) also found it a little difficult to score runs. The wicket played a big role in this match. As far as this strategy is concerned, we will follow it in future also.” If Karthik had been sent earlier, India could have scored more than 160 runs and Shreyas also admitted that in the end it was almost 12 runs short.
Iyer also said, “If you look at the match, I think 160 runs on this wicket would have been really good to put a little pressure, but we were 12 runs short of that.” South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen’s 81 helped register a four-wicket win to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.