New Delhi, Feb 25 (NationPress) Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has warned the Indian team to prioritize victory over aiming for a high net run rate as they prepare for a crucial Super Eights clash against Zimbabwe. Pathan emphasizes that the primary goal should be to secure a win to advance towards the semi-finals.

The defending champions, India, are set to face Zimbabwe in their second Super Eights match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday evening. After suffering a significant 76-run defeat to South Africa, the pressure is on for back-to-back victories to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

“I sincerely hope the mindset of playing for net run-rate does not dominate the start of the game. The focus should be on winning first. Perform well and aim for victory. Only after that should net run-rate considerations come into play. Attempting to catch up with the West Indies' net run-rate is nearly impossible,” remarked Pathan during an interview on JioStar.

He also reflected on India's performance in the heavy loss to South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. “Where do I even start? As Surya mentioned, India must improve in bowling, batting, and fielding to win the next game. None of these departments performed adequately.

“I was particularly disappointed that after losing four or five wickets, no one attempted to build a partnership to elevate the score towards 150. There wasn’t a single substantial partnership. Everyone seemed intent on aggressive play, and look where that got us,” he added.

Pathan acknowledged India's current net run rate of -3.8 as a considerable setback but praised South Africa’s effective strategy using slower deliveries. “Our net run-rate is now significantly lower, with the West Indies and South Africa far ahead. Regaining that run-rate will be quite challenging.

“Furthermore, I was vocal about the South African bowlers' use of slower balls and variations. They executed them intelligently, and we had no response. Each time they bowled a slower delivery, our batsmen were unable to cope, leading to a lack of rotation of the strike and opportunities for low-risk boundaries,” he observed.

Despite the buzz surrounding Sanju Samson potentially joining the playing eleven to alter the monotony of having left-handed batsmen at the top order against Zimbabwe, Pathan believes Suryakumar Yadav should bat at number three.

“I believe Surya is suitable for the number three position. From a team perspective, I completely understand Surya's cautious approach, especially since Abhishek has been getting dismissed early. In the last match, Ishan Kishan got out in the first over. Exposing Suryakumar Yadav at number three could risk losing him to just one good delivery, especially given his effectiveness in the middle overs with a strike rate of 160,” he concluded.