Former India head coach Ravi Shastri did not hold back while talking about India’s 76-run defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad, which was their biggest loss ever in T20 World Cup history. Despite the heavy setback, he believes the team might actually benefit from it, especially since their chances of reaching the semifinals are still in their own hands.
Ravi Shastri on India's defeat vs South Africa
Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri said it was better for India to get this kind of wake-up call early in the tournament rather than at a later stage. According to him, the loss gives the defending champions time to sit down, rethink their approach, and fix what went wrong before their remaining Super 8 matches, against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday and West Indies in Kolkata on March 1.
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“I’m actually glad it’s happened early, especially against a team that’s tipped to make the semi-finals anyway. It might just be the shake-up India needed. It could also force them to rethink their strategy and the composition of the side going forward. I’m sure they’ll bounce back. They would have learned from that experience and won’t take things for granted. In the Super 8, if you lose another game, you’re really putting yourself under serious pressure,” he said.
Shastri on India's decision to pick Sundar over Axar
Shastri also opened up on India's decision to pick Washington Sundar over vice-captain Axar Patel for the Super 8 clash against South Africa. Suryakumar termed it a tactical call, with Axar expected be included in the playing XI against Zimbabwe, who have five right-handers in their top seven. Shastri said the management could even field both spin all-rounders. He argued that doing so would preserve batting depth while providing an extra bowling option.
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“I think they’ve got to bring him back. You need that experience. I’d say play both if you can, give yourself that extra option, because on any given day one bowler is bound to have an off day. For example, Varun Chakravarthy wasn’t at his best yesterday and paid the price for it. So you need that backup.
“That strengthens your No. 8. If Axar Patel is playing, he could bat at eight. You’ve got Hardik Pandya at five, Shivam Dube at six, Washington Sundar at seven and Axar at eight. Axar can even bat at five if required,” he said.
What if India feature with Sundar and Axar?
Shastri added that if the team management decides to play both Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, then head coach Gautam Gambhir will face a difficult decision. It would likely mean dropping specialist finisher Rinku Singh from the playing XI
“If eight batters can’t get the job done in T20 cricket, then something’s wrong, especially with that kind of firepower. Where you’re falling short is not giving yourself that extra bowling option, which I think is important. That might mean Rinku Singh misses out, but if he comes in, it should be in place of a specialist batter.”
India's scenarios to qualify for the semifinals
1st scenario: India needs to win their both of their Super 8 matches and if the Men in Blue beat both West Indies and Zimbabwe, they will finish with four points from three matches. If South Africa wins all their Super 8 matches, both South Africa and India will qualify. If South Africa loses to West Indies, then India, South Africa and the West Indies could all end up with four points. In that case, the Net Run Rate will decide the two semi-finalists.
Second scenario: India win only one of their remaining matches. The hosts must defeat the West Indies to stay alive in this case. If South Africa wins both their matches and India beats West Indies but loses to Zimbabwe, then India, Zimbabwe and West Indies could end up level on points. Net Run Rate would then decide who qualifies. However, if South Africa loses both their remaining games, India will not qualify.