West Indies Defeat India in Second ODI, Akash Chopra Criticizes Team Selection
In the second One Day International (ODI) between India and West Indies, the West Indies emerged victorious, defeating India by six wickets. India, batting first, managed to score 181 runs before being all out. However, West Indies chased down the target while losing just four wickets, ultimately securing a win in the 37th over. Shai Hope of the West Indies was named the Player of the Match for his impressive knock of 63 runs.
India, missing their captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli, faced criticism for their team selection. All-rounder Axar Patel was unexpectedly promoted to bat at number four. Former Indian batsman and cricket analyst Akash Chopra voiced his concerns about this decision, questioning the reasoning behind it. Chopra raised doubts over Axar Patel’s prospects of playing at number four, particularly in major tournaments like the World Cup or Asia Cup.
Chopra expressed his admiration for Axar Patel but emphasized that he does not see him occupying the number four position in 50-over cricket. He also questioned the logic of promoting Axar Patel when India seemed reluctant to have a left-right combination at the top of the batting order.
Highlighting the team’s composition, Chopra pointed out that Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, all right-handed batsmen, were set to open and bat at number three. Therefore, incorporating a left-handed batsman lower down the order to achieve a left-right combination seemed unrealistic. This raised further doubts about Axar Patel’s placement at number four.
The victory for West Indies marks their first ODI win against India since December 2019, breaking a streak of nine consecutive losses. For the Indian team, this defeat raises concerns as it occurred just two months before the upcoming World Cup. After their loss in the first ODI, West Indies displayed an impressive resurgence in the second match.
Overall, the decision to promote Axar Patel to number four and the team’s composition have come under heavy scrutiny, with critics like Akash Chopra questioning the rationale behind these choices.
In the second ODI between India and West Indies, West Indies defeated India by six wickets. Batting first, India scored 181 runs and were all out, but the West Indies lost four wickets and won the match in the 37th over. Player of the match was Shai Hope who scored 63 runs for the West Indies.
India entered the match without captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. All-rounder Axar Patel became India’s number four.
Akash Chopra, former Indian batsman and cricket analyst, has come out strongly criticizing this. Shreyas Iyer and KL He questioned the logic behind this when it was certain that Axar would not bat at number four if players like Rahul returned to the team.
‘How, why, when and where was Akshar Patel sent here at number four? I have a lot of respect and admiration for Axar, but Axar is never going to play number four. What are his chances of playing at number four for India from a World Cup or Asia Cup perspective? I don’t see him playing there in 50-over cricket,’ said Chopra.
The former India opener also asked why Aksar was promoted to number four when India were not ready to open with a left-right combination.
‘I have another question – is it fair? Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will open and Virat Kohli will play at number three, all three right-handed. If you wanted a left-right combination so badly, would you play a left-handed batsman with one of them down? That’s not going to happen – so what’s Axar Patel doing at number four?,’ added Chopra.
This is West Indies’ first ODI win against India after nine consecutive losses. This is their first win since December 2019. This was a poor performance by the Indian team just two months before the World Cup. After the loss in the first ODI, West Indies came back well in the second match.
Content Highlights: Akash Chopra Slams Indian Cricket Team For Axar Patel’s Batting At No.4
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