Sports · Cricket · 8 hrs ago
Srikkanth questions India’s decision to send Rahul in at No. 6
India sent Axar Patel in to bat before KL Rahul during a difficult innings in Wellington, New Zealand.
India were 39 for 3 when Axar came in, and Rahul followed after Axar was dismissed.
Axar made seven runs from 17 balls, while Rahul looked more comfortable on a pitch where the ball bounced unevenly and moved.
Former selector Kris Srikkanth said Rahul should have batted higher, arguing that Rahul has scored international centuries at No.
3 and No.
4 and is suited to tough conditions.
Sunil Gavaskar defended sending in a left-handed batter because it can disrupt bowlers’ plans against a run of right-handers.
The debate matters because India are considering how to set their batting order for ODIs, including in conditions that may resemble those expected at the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa.
The sources do not say whether India will change Rahul’s position in the next match.
Former India selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth questioned the decision to send KL Rahul in at No. 6 after Axar Patel in the second ODI against New Zealand.
Axar came to bat when India were 39/3 in Wellington and scored seven runs from 17 deliveries.
Srikkanth said Rahul, who he described as a marquee player, should have batted ahead of Axar.
Sunil Gavaskar defended the move, saying a left-handed batter can disrupt bowlers’ plans against a sequence of right-handers.
A Times of India analysis also argued that Rahul is better suited to No. 5, citing his ODI record in that position.
- Who
- KL Rahul and Axar Patel were involved in the batting-order decision; former India selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticised it, while Sunil Gavaskar defended it.
- What
- India sent Axar in ahead of Rahul, who batted at No. 6 in the second ODI against New Zealand.
- When
- Saturday; the exact date of the match is not stated.
- Where
- Wellington, New Zealand.
- Why
- Gavaskar said the left-right batting combination could disrupt bowlers’ line and length. Srikkanth argued Rahul should have batted higher.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth
Sunil Gavaskar
Batting order
Krishnamachari Srikkanth
Rahul should have come in ahead of Axar because he is a marquee player who has scored centuries at No. 3 and No. 4.
Sunil Gavaskar
Sending a left-hander ahead of a right-hander can make bowlers adjust their line and length and create scoring chances.
The decision
Krishnamachari Srikkanth
Srikkanth called it gross injustice to send Rahul in at No. 6 after Axar.
Sunil Gavaskar
Gavaskar said there was nothing wrong with the thinking, though the move did not work on this occasion.
Axar Patel came in to bat for India at 39/3 in Wellington, ahead of KL Rahul.
Axar was dismissed after scoring seven runs from 17 deliveries, and Rahul then came to the crease.
The Indian Express and Times of India published articles discussing Rahul’s batting position and the decision to send Axar ahead of him.
- India score when Axar came in
- 39/3
- Axar Patel’s score
- 7 runs from 17 deliveries
- Rahul’s ODI runs at No. 5
- 1,646
- Rahul’s ODI average at No. 5
- 68.58
- Axar’s average at No. 5
- 30.41
2 sources
What people are saying
But what justice is it to send Rahul at No.6 after Axar Patel?
It’s gross injustice
There was nothing wrong with that thought process.