"Batters need..."- Former KKR star criticizes Gautam Gambhir's T20 strategy post 2nd T20I defeat vs South Africa
The former star player of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has criticized the T20 stretegy of India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, post their defeat during the second T20I of the five-match series against South Africa.
The former Indian opening batter, Robin Uthappa, has questioned the strategy of the national side’s T20 batting as they faced their largest defeat in terms of runs during the second clash against South Africa at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
A few days ago, the head coach of the Blue Brigade, Gautam Gambhir, claimed that the batting orders are overrated. In the second game, during India’s massive chase, they sent Axar Patel at number four, ahead of Tilak Verma. Uthappa has now questioned Gambhir’s plan in T20s.
“South Africa batted and bowled exceptionally well to bounce back after the first game. With the new ball, they were outstanding on that surface. Lungi Ngidi’s delivery to Shubman Gill was an absolute peach, and the ball to Abhishek Sharma cramped him for room on a testing back‑of‑a‑length. They consistently hit the right areas and kept India under pressure.” Uthappa expressed on his YouTube channel.
Robin Uthappa slams Gautam Gambhir’s T20 strategy
Uthappa also praised the Protea side, who continued to nail the big shots from the start to the end. Quinton de Kock was the main contributor in the department before the last wicket stand of David Miller and Donovan Ferreira blasted them over the 200-run mark.
“With the bat, they made a clear statement by attacking India’s best bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, right from the start. Quinton de Kock was phenomenal, built strong partnerships with Aiden Markram, ran superbly with Dewald Brevis, and kept the tempo high by hitting in his preferred zones. Donovan Ferreira and David Miller then finished things off in style.” The former KKR batter addressed.
“At the international level, batters need clear roles and a clear idea of how they’re going to construct an innings. Flexibility with match-ups after the first six to eight overs is fine, but you still need a solid foundation before you can chase a big score — you can’t build a skyscraper without a base. I don’t agree with being overly flexible so early in the innings beyond the openers.” Robin Uthappa concluded.
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