Axar Patel was dropped from India’s playing XI against South Africa in the Super 8s, with assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate calling it a tactical move to balance the team based on match conditions.
The decision backfired badly as replacement Washington Sundar bowled his full quota without taking a single wicket, and India suffered their heaviest run defeat of the tournament, losing by 76 runs.
Team Management Preferred Match-Ups, Says Assistant Coach
South Africa batted first on a dry pitch and posted a strong total. One of the major talking points from the match was Axar Patel’s absence from India’s playing XI. India retained the same team combination from their previous game against the Netherlands, a decision that drew criticism after their first loss of the tournament.
The team management backed their call during the press conference, stating that Axar’s exclusion was purely tactical. The decision was based on match-ups and balancing the team according to pitch conditions. He clarified that the move had nothing to do with Axar’s form or his role as vice-captain.
With only 11 spots available, the team management chose Washington Sundar for this contest. Suryakumar Yadav also stated that it was a tactical decision and that the team did not want to disturb the winning combination from the earlier game.
Washington Sundar Off Colour in The World Cup
Washington Sundar, who was retained after the previous match against the Netherlands. He miserably failed in this match, conceding 36 runs in his four overs and failing to pick up a wicket.
In the next match against South Africa, Sundar was promoted to number 5 after an early collapse. However, he managed only 11 runs off 11 balls, leaving the team well short of the target.
Even though Axar Patel had performed well earlier in the tournament, India chose not to alter their combination. In contrast, South Africa made four changes to their lineup, bringing in Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, and David Miller.
The heavy defeat dented India’s chances of reaching the semifinals and sparked fresh debate over whether the team selection and tactical calls were the right ones at such a crucial stage of the tournament.
