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In the first of the three-ODI series against Australia, India suffered a top-order collapse. Returning after a long layoff, the T20I and Test-retired Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had a short stay at the crease. On his ODI captaincy debut, Shubman Gill was dismissed cheaply as well. India were 25/3 in the ninth over when Axar Patel walked out to bat ahead of KL Rahul. The team management’s move did not please former India pacer Dodda Ganesh who feels it is ‘criminal’ to have him batting at no.6.
“For heavens sake please let KL Rahul bat at no 5. Don’t waste him at 6,” Ganesh wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Ok then. India will not change its strategy. Its criminal to push a batsman of KL Rahul’s quality to no 6,” he added.
KL Rahul showed fine technique as an opener during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. But he was padded up to bat no.6 despite despite an average of 56.57 at no.5 in the format.
Ganesh took examples of great openers where the left-right combination hasn’t mattered.
“The left-right combination in the batting is a nice thing to have. It is one of the many strategies to unsettle the opposition. But it’s not mandatory to design your batting order on this tactic ignoring the quality of the batters,” Ganesh said.
“Greenidge-Haynes (RHB) Hayden-Langer (LHB).”
Rain plays spoilsport in series opener
Before the rain played spoilsport, India were 25/3 after 8.5 overs. The play resumed shortly but rain played spoilsport again. Shreyas Iyer and Patel found gaps but the outfield was damp and the ball did not travel to the boundary. India were 37/3 after 11.5 overs before rain returned.
Axar Patel's record at no.5
Before the Perth ODI, Patel had batted at no.5 10 times in ODIs in his nine-year-long career. He has 290 runs at an average of 36.25, including a fifty.
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