1st ODI: Rohit Reveals Strategy Behind Promoting Axar Patel

Synopsis

In the first ODI against England, Rohit Sharma explained the strategy of promoting Axar Patel to No.5, focusing on the left-right batting combination and Axar's enhanced skills. The match saw India chase down 249 runs successfully, with key contributions from Gill and Patel.

Key Takeaways

Rohit Sharma promoted Axar Patel to No.5 to maintain a left-right batting combo.
India successfully chased 249 runs, winning by four wickets.
Key partnerships between Gill and Axar were pivotal to the victory.
The bowlers played a crucial role in restricting England.
India aims to leverage this win for upcoming matches.

Nagpur, Feb 6 (NationPress) Indian captain Rohit Sharma explained that the decision to elevate Axar Patel to the No.5 position in the batting lineup during the first ODI against England was strategically aimed at preserving the left-right batting combination and leveraging the left-arm spinner's enhanced batting skills.

While chasing a moderate target of 249, following outstanding performances from Ravindra Jadeja (3-26) and debutant Harshit Rana (3-53) who restricted England to under 250, India faced early setbacks with the loss of Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal at just 19 runs. However, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer (59) forged a resilient 94-run partnership for the third wicket. The pivotal choice to promote Axar Patel yielded significant rewards as the allrounder notched up an impressive 52, forming a strong 108-run partnership with Gill, who emerged as the top scorer with 87, leading India to victory by four wickets with 11 overs to spare.

Rohit mentioned that the rationale behind promoting Axar was to take advantage of the situation, as England had two spinners likely to target the left-hander.

"We needed a lefty in the middle; it’s quite straightforward. We recognized they had a couple of spinners aimed at the left-handers, and we wanted one out there. Axar has significantly improved his batting over the past couple of years, which was evident today. We required a partnership, and Gill and Axar performed exceptionally well," Rohit stated during the post-match presentation on Thursday.

Rohit expressed satisfaction with the victory, noting that it marked India's return to a 50-over format after a considerable hiatus (following a three-match series last year).

"I’m quite pleased since we were returning to this format after a long interval. We aimed to quickly regroup and comprehend what needed to be executed. The start wasn’t ideal, with their openers applying pressure, but our comeback was remarkable.

"This format allows for a bit more time to recover. Just because things start to slip doesn’t mean they will continue to do so," added Rohit, who could only manage two runs himself.

The Indian captain praised the bowlers for their role in securing the win.

"Kudos to the bowlers; everyone contributed. It was crucial for us to maintain momentum, take wickets at key moments, and the energy on the field was fantastic," he noted.

Although this victory is significant for India ahead of the Champions Trophy, Rohit emphasized that his focus is not solely on that tournament. He aims to utilize these three matches to ensure his team is executing the right strategies.

"There’s nothing specific; overall, as a team, I want to ensure we continue to do the right things. We must tick every box in both bowling and batting. We performed well overall, though I believe we could have avoided losing wickets towards the end," Rohit concluded.

India will face England again in the second ODI in Cuttack in three days, aiming to clinch the ODI series after securing a 4-1 victory in the five-match T20I series.