Former India player Aakash Chopra has urged India to bat first if they win the toss in the third T20I against Afghanistan in Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17. The Indian team took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series by registering convincing wins in Mohali and Indore as well. However, they won both games by six wickets after winning the toss and opting to chase the score as well.

Previewing the third T20I in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “India should do one thing, which they should have probably done consistently. They should bat first if they win the toss in Bengaluru. You want to win the series, there is no doubt about that, but you want to challenge yourself as well. If you keep winning tosses and chase repeatedly, the job becomes easy.”

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He further added, “The opposing team made 150 and 170-odd in the first two matches and you chased them easily. So you haven’t been tested. Then you get stuck one day, like it happened against England in the semi-final (of the 2022 T20 World Cup). You might not win the toss in the World Cup and might have to bat first.”

However, Aakash Chopra also observed that Afghanistan would look to chase in any case if they win the toss. And, he wants India to include Avesh Khan as an additional pacer in the playing XI, especially if they are looking to bat first as well.

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“In such a scenario, will you play three spinners? You got Shivam Dube to bowl the 19th over but you don’t want to do that. He is not your 19th-over bowler. So I feel you can play an extra fast bowler here,” Aakash Chopra concluded. “In whose place will you play him? I think Washington Sundar will have to go out because Washi is not getting used properly. He is not getting enough bowling. Ravi Bishnoi is bowling in the powerplay and Axar Patel is bowling later. Axar picks two wickets for sure.”