Melbourne, Oct 31 (NationPress) Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel believes that the Indian team must make critical decisions regarding their combination of spinners and the number eight batting position following a four-wicket loss in the second T20I against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

After being put to bat first, India faced early troubles as Josh Hazlewood dismantled the top order with an impressive spell of 3-13, leaving the visitors in dire straits at four down within the powerplay.

Abhishek Sharma provided some resistance with a steady 68 runs, but India struggled to stabilize their innings and were eventually bowled out for 125 in just 18.4 overs. Australia successfully chased the target, winning by four wickets with 40 balls remaining, which gave them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

“There are positive aspects to note, such as Abhishek Sharma's batting and Varun Chakaravarthy's bowling, but the team management is faced with vital decisions. They need to find the right mix of playing two wrist spinners in Australian conditions and whether to enhance the batting order at number eight by including a bowler like Harshit Rana, who can contribute with the bat instead of opting for a specialist like Arshdeep Singh,” stated Patel.

“Moreover, the strategy concerning the toss is worth discussing; despite the heavy dew, India decided to bat first. This choice should be critically analyzed, particularly since local groundsmen indicated significant dew formation during evening matches,” Parthiv added on JioStar.

Patel also shared thoughts on Shubman Gill’s role within the team and his batting technique, especially after his dismissal for five runs in Friday’s match. “As vice-captain, Shubman Gill's contributions are crucial, though the main focus is on team composition rather than the established opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma.”

“Regarding Gill's batting style, he has the ability to hit aggressive shots and match Abhishek's intent, but he does not need to imitate that approach. His strength lies in timing the ball effectively through the mid-on and mid-off areas without resorting to cross-bat shots, as demonstrated in the first T20I in Canberra,” he explained.

“Given his experience and game awareness, he can dictate his own pace, similar to his performance during the Asia Cup, rather than changing his natural style to mirror that of Abhishek Sharma in this series,” he concluded.