Didn’t require anyone to start hitting right away: Shreyas Iyer
With his unbeaten 21-ball 30, Dinesh Karthik led India from 112/6 to 148/6 in the 17th over. In the second T20I, South Africa defeated India by four wickets.
Axar Patel was sent in ahead of Dinesh Karthik in the second T20I against South Africa, according to Shreyas Iyer, because India didn’t need someone to start striking right away.
The Proteas trounced India by four wickets in the second T20I in Cuttack on Sunday, extending their advantage to 2-0. India was reduced to 98/5 in 14 overs after scoring 211 in the first match. The think tank then dispatched Axar ahead of ‘finisher’ Karthik, surprising everyone.
When asked why, Shreyas replied in the post-match press conference, “We strategized earlier.” We still had 6-7 overs to go. Axar Patel is a player who can take singles and keep the strike rotating. We didn’t need someone to go out and start hitting right away.
“Even DK (Dinesh Karthik) can do it, but DK has been a great asset for us after 15 overs when he can slog the ball.” But he, too, was finding it difficult to get started. The wicket had a significant impact.”
With an unbeaten 21-ball 30 that included two maximums and as many boundaries, Karthik lifted India from 112/6 to 148/6 in the 17th over. With 10 balls remaining, Heinrich Klaasen’s stunning 81 helped South Africa chase down the goal.
