‘Axar Ahead Of Samson? I Don’t Understand It’: India’s Weird Batting Order Invites Backlash | Cricket News

India are sticking to their strategy of keeping a flexible batting order in which everyone, apart from the openers, can bat anywhere. In the Super Four clash of the Asia Cup with Bangladesh, the shuffling of batting order almost backfired after India slipped from 72/0 in 6 overs to 168/6 in 20 overs.

Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill had laid the foundation for a big total at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, once Gill departed, instead of Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma or even Sanju Samson, in walked Shivam Dube who has usually batted in the middle or lower middle order.

Dube holed out on 2. Strangely, Samson, who has been demoted to the middle-order since Gill’s return to the T20I team, didn’t bat even though India sent Axar Patel – a bowling allrounder- ahead of the wicketkeeper-batter.

Former India fast bowler Varun Aaron didn’t agree with Samson not getting to bat against Bangladesh. “They (India) thought they could get Dube on to take down the spinners. But Sanju Samson is another option; he could have been slotted in early today. We know how he enjoys [batting] slightly up top,” Aaron told ESPNcricinfo.

At the ongoing Asia Cup, Samson has batted only twice – once at no. 3 against Oman when he made 56 and then at no. 5 against Pakistan when he mustered a scratchy 13 off 17.

“Axar ahead of Samson? I do not understand it. The man [Samson] got three T20I centuries last year, you’ve got to cut him some slack,” Aaron said.

“There’s not much difference in the strike rates of the Indian batters. It is not like we have four batters who strike above 150 and have a couple who can only play run a ball. Every batter in that top eight can bat at a very high strike rate. I don’t see any motive behind so much chopping and changing in the batting line-up,” he added.

SKY Defends Shuffling

During the post-match presentation India captain Suryakumar doubled down on India’s approach while maintaining that they will continue taking chances going ahead.

“Looking at their (Bangladesh) bowling line-up – they had a left-arm spinner (Nasum Ahmed), they had a legspinner (Rishad Hossain) – Dube was a perfect match-up at that moment. And his entry point was perfect – seven to 15 overs. So we took that chance. It did not go well, but in the games ahead, we might try doing that,” Suryakumar said.