India Need A Solid Foundation To Chase Big Score: Robin Uthappa
Follow The Blues: Former India batter Robin Uthappa provided a detailed assessment of the recently concluded second T20I at Mullanpur, praising South Africas all-round excellence whilst questioning Indias lack of clarity in batting roles during a big chase. Indias experiment with batting flexibility came under scrutiny after they fell short in a challenging run chase against the Proteas, allowing the visitors to level the five-match series 1-1. Reflecting on South Africas response after losing the opening game on JioHotstars Follow The Blues, Uthappa underlined how effectively they dominated all three departments, saying, South Africa batted and bowled exceptionally well to bounce back after the first game. With the new ball they were outstanding on that surface, Lungi Ngidis delivery to Shubman Gill was an absolute peach, and the ball to Abhishek Sharma cramped him for room on a testing backofalength. They consistently hit the right areas and kept India under pressure. With the bat, they made a clear statement by attacking Indias best bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, right from the start. Quinton de Kock was phenomenal, built strong partnerships with Aiden Markram, ran superbly with Dewald Brevis, and kept the tempo high by hitting in his preferred zones. Donovan Ferreira and David Miller then finished things off in style. It was a complete performance from South Africa, and on a rare off day for Bumrah and Arshdeep, they out-batted, out-bowled, and out-fielded India, he added. Indias chase lost momentum after the early wickets, but Uthappa believes the bigger issue was in how the innings was constructed once Shubman Gill was dismissed, especially with a deep batting line-up at Indias disposal. You can lose early wickets, but for me the real issue was the batting strategy once Shubman Gill got out. If Axar Patel is walking in at that stage with such a deep batting line-up, he has to play as a pinch-hitter someone youre willing to risk early in return for quick runs and taking pressure off Abhishek Sharma. Instead, his 21 off 21 didnt really serve that purpose, and as wickets fell around him, he was forced to change his approach and slow down, which hurt the chase, he said. The former opener emphasised the importance of clearly defined roles for batters playing an international game, especially when chasing a big target. You can lose early wickets, but for me the real issue was the batting strategy once Shubman Gill got out. If Axar Patel is walking in at that stage with such a deep batting line-up, he has to play as a pinch-hitter someone youre willing to risk early in return for quick runs and taking pressure off Abhishek Sharma. Instead, his 21 off 21 didnt really serve that purpose, and as wickets fell around him, he was forced to change his approach and slow down, which hurt the chase, he said. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Uthappa concluded by warning against excessive tactical fluidity too early in an innings, suggesting it can complicate decision-making and scoring patterns, as he stated, Asking players to prepare for multiple roles in the same game makes run-scoring more complicated, and thats where India are missing a trick. I dont agree with being overly flexible so early in the innings beyond the openers. Article Source: IANS
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