India coach reveals why Washington Sundar was picked over Axar Patel after South Africa loss
India cricket team assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate explained the rationale behind picking Washington Sundar in the playing XI over Axar Patel for the Super 8 tie against South Africa. The Men in Blue were handed a crushing 76-run defeat by the Proteas in Ahmedabad, ending their 12-match winning streak in T20 World Cup. While India’s decision to not play Axar might have backfired, the management explained why the Tamil Nadu all-rounder was fielded instead of the hometown boy. Why was Sundar picked over Axar? Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ryan ten Doeschate explained that the team percieved Ryan Rickleton, Quinton de Kock and David Miller as the major threats and that India had leaned towards Sundar as he could bowl in the powerplay. He said that while Axar occasionally bowled in the first six overs, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder had reached a phase where he could be effective during that period. “ I don’t think it’s as straightforward as that. In our analysis, we felt ...