Former India player Parthiv Patel said that Indian captain Rohit Sharma has been doing well as a captain, but his bowling changes have become predictable now. He stated that Rohit likes bringing in a left-arm spinner within the first six overs and Axar Patel bowled the fifth over in the fourth T20I against West Indies on Saturday (August 6) in Lauderhill. He gave away 22 runs as Nicholas Pooran hit him for a boundary and three sixes before getting run out off the last ball.
Speaking about Rohit’s captaincy, Parthiv said during a discussion on Cricbuzz: “Yes, you can see that pattern in it (Rohit’s captaincy). A left-arm spinner usually bowls the 4th or the 5th over. Ravindra Jadeja, whenever he played, he bowled that 4th or 5th over. Today (Saturday) also Axar came in. Maybe that over could have been bowled by Arshdeep Singh.”
While speaking about Arshdeep, Parthiv Patel praised the left-arm seamer for his brilliant yorkers at the death overs. He also credited the Indian fielders for doing well. However, Arshdeep finished the match with figures of 3 for 12 in 3.1 overs. He removed Dominic Drakes (5) and Obed McCoy (2) with yorkers.
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“The way he (Arshdeep) bowled those inswinging yorkers with the slightest of help from the wicket (was very impressive). The Indian team is maintaining the ball really well to get that reverse. If you can do that (get the ball to tail in) in 20-over cricket, obviously you have ability. But the Indian team is definitely maintaining the ball very well.”
He also opened up on Avesh Khan’s performance, saying that he was very pleased with his performance in the fourth T20I against West Indies. He credited Rohit Sharma for backing him and allowing him to complete his quota of four overs as well. However, Avesh was the Player of the Match in Saturday’s (August 6) T20I match for his figures of 2 for 17. He dismissed Brandon King (13) and Devon Thomas (1) and helped India restrict West Indies to 132 while defending a total of 191.
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He told Cricbuzz: “He’ll (Avesh) be very happy. We predicted that he would bowl his four overs. That’s what Rohit (Sharma) did. Rohit gave him that confidence and he bowled very cleverly today (Saturday). Avesh was brilliant, the way he came back. He showed that he had the ability to adapt to the situation. Every player who comes into the Indian team, he wants that sense of belonging, especially in that Indian dressing room. That’s something which Rahul bhai and Rohit Sharma understand really well. They give that confidence to every player that, ‘yes you belong here’.”
“Coming back in international cricket is a very tough thing, one of the toughest. Having a couple of big scars. He was perhaps coming in with a lot of doubts in his mind. After that, coming out and performing that way (was commendable),” Parthiv Patel concluded.
