'Didn't require someone to straightaway start hitting' - Shreyas Iyer defends Axar Patel's promotion ahead of Dinesh Karthik

India suffered a second successive defeat in the T20I series against South Africa. The Indian team scored a below-par 148/6 in their 20 overs. The Proteas got past the Indian score quite comfortably in the end thanks to Heinrich Klaasen’s brutal knock of 81 runs. Shreyas Iyer has defended the decision of the team to send Axar Patel ahead of Dinesh Karthik in the first innings.

The Indian batters were at their belligerent best in the first T20I but struggled for fluency on a difficult batting surface at the Barabati Stadium. Iyer, who came in to bat at No.3, was joined by Axar at the crease after Hardik Pandya’s dismissal, a move that bewildered many people as they believed the stage demanded the skills of the veteran Dinesh Karthik.

Axar struggled, like many other batters before him, and could only muster ten runs in 11 deliveries before succumbing to Anrich Nortje. The southpaw’s dismissal brought in the veteran Dinesh Karthik to the crease, who finished with a 21-ball 30 and showed the value of his presence in the middle.

Karthik’s innings raised further questions about the decision to send Axar ahead of him. Iyer, who top-scored for the Indians with 40 off 35 balls, clarified that Axar was not sent in to play big hits from ball one and was supposed to rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard ticking.

“We strategized earlier. We had 6-7 overs left. Axar Patel is someone who can take singles and keep rotating the strike. We didn’t require someone to go and straightaway start hitting,” Iyer said at the post-match press conference.

Even Dinesh Karthik was finding it a little bit difficult to start on: Shreyas Iyer

The Indian innings was tattering at 98-5 around the 14-over mark and was looking like finishing well below the mark after the 20th over. But a late blitz from veteran Karthik helped India to a competitive score of 148/6 after 20 overs. The wicketkeeper-batter, who made a name for himself in the IPL 2022 by clearing boundaries at will, also struggled with timing for the most part before finding the middle of the bat at the near end of the innings.

“Even DK (Dinesh Karthik) can do that, but DK has been a really good asset for us after 15 overs when he can come in and slog the ball. But even he was finding it a little bit difficult to start on. The wicket played a huge role,” Iyer added.