Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan applauded the management for sticking with Ruturaj Gaikwad for the second ODI against South Africa despite his poor show in the first. Batting at No. 4, he scored only a 14-ball eight in the opening ODI. But, managed a stunning 105 off 83 deliveries.
Talking about Gaikwad on his YouTube channel ahead of the series decider, Pathan said, “Nothing happens in one match and here, the management deserve credit. He showed what he can do and even his running between the wickets was excellent. With Tilak Varma and Rishabh Pant in the reserves, Ruturaj Gaikwad ensured with his century that questions about playing him at No. 4 won’t be asked for a while. It will be interesting to see going forward if his number will be at the top or No. 4.”
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“By delivering at No. 4, Ruturaj Gaikwad has told the selectors and the management that even if you bat me at an unfamiliar number, I’ll produce. But like I said for the fast bowlers, if India had dropped Ruturaj Gaikwad after his failure in the first ODI, would he have scored a century? No. That’s why it’s important to persist. Even before the match, I said Ruturaj Gaikwad must play all three matches,” he further added.
Irfan Pathan also urged out-of-form pacer Prasidh Krishna to bowl at the proper lengths and utilize the yorker more in the deciding ODI against South Africa as well.
“In the previous game, Prasidh Krishna’s lengths had to be better. With his height, he gets the bounce that works perfectly to the South African batters’ favor. When there is no grip from the pitch, length control becomes very important. Even though Prasidh Krishna is tall, he must not leave the yorker. That’s how he got Breetzke’s wicket, so he must keep bowling the yorker every once in a while. The fuller he goes, the better for him,” said Pathan.
“Coming to the spinners, the South Africans’ plan was clear. They were looking to hit straight. It meant the ball was coming on nicely off the pitch without any grip. Hence, India needed to have the fielders not as wide. When the ball doesn’t grip, you need to have field more straight. If the same situation arises again with the dew, keep the long off and long on straighter. It’s important to cut this angle which India didn’t do in the previous game,” Irfan Pathan concluded.
