The Indian team is trailing 0-2 in the five-match T20I series against West Indies and with their openers unable to provide a good start, calls to give Yahsasvi Jaiswal a go are growing. Jaiswal had a terrific IPL 2023 following which he was called up to the India Test and T20I squads.
Jaiswal made a memorable Test debut with a century and with India now playing catch up in the ongoing T20I series, it’s likely that the youngster could replace either opener – Shubman Gill or Ishan Kishan – in the playing XI.
Ishan and Gill exited inside the first five overs of the series opener while in the next match, they were separated after managing just 16 runs between them.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra though thinks that it won’t be right to drop either of the two yet and the pair should be given at least one more chance.
“See, the question is big (to change the opening combination) and is tempting also because if Ishan (Kishan) plays, he plays as the wicketkeeper-batter and is a left-hander,” Chopra said on JioCinema.
“Also, you have Yashasvi who is a left-hander and can open, and you also have Sanju (Samson) as a keeper, who is available for selection. There is a thought, but I will still say that if you have given someone a chance to play, you should give them three matches at least so that you can arrive at a decision. I feel for one more match, I will not change the opening pair of Ishan and Shubman Gill,” he added.
Chopra said India must capitalise the Powerplay.
“In the first six overs, it’s important to capitalise. But it is only possible if you have wickets in hand. It’s not like India lose a wicket early on. They are playing the first two overs cautiously,” he said.
India suffered close defeats in both the matches with captain Hardik Pandya putting the responsibility on the batters to show improvement. Chopra reckons that Pandya will himself have to step up with the bat.
“(Hardik Pandya will also have a responsibility to make runs himself and stay on the crease till the very end so that you have enough runs on the board which can be defended,” he said.
Chopra says he cannot fathom how India have utilised Axar Patel so far. The allrounder bowled just two overs in the first match and wasn’t asked to bowl in the second.
“And while I speak of bowling, I am astonished as Axar isn’t being utilised, because if you are playing a left-arm spinner and think you won’t bowl him against a lefty, so you will get (Kyle) Mayers in the beginning, then Nicholas Pooran and then (Shimron) Hetmyer and then Akeal Hossein, so you can’t make him play the match. I feel Axar can be utilised in a better way,” he said.
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