Virender Sehwag thinks Team India ‘pressed the panic button’ by opening the innings with Ishan Kishan in their T20 World Cup 2021 match against New Zealand on Sunday.
When communicating with Cricbuzz, Sehwag cited a situation from the 2007 World T20 to describe his point. He assumed that like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly 14 years ago, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are India’s built opening pair, which should not have been concerned. He continued that Ishan Kishan, being a junior cricketer in the team, could have been ‘adjusted everywhere’.
Sehwag called the case of himself opening the batting with Robin Uthappa, rather of Sachin Tendulkar, stating:
“I always talk about how in the 2007 World Cup we had a mountain named Sachin Tendulkar, but he wasn’t opening the innings and two other small mountains were opening. One was Virender Sehwag and the other was Robin Uthappa.”
Sehwag remained that KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma should have begun the innings. He assumed that the dynamic Ishan Kishan could have been held anywhere else in the top order. He replied:
“Even at that time, I believed that Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar should open while people like us can adjust anywhere. It’s the same situation here. Rahul and Rohit should open, Ishan Kishan can adjust anywhere”.
“Like he (Kishan) bats aggressively at the top of the order, he can do the same in the middle order as well. I feel they have pressed the panic button by saying that Ishan Kishan will open and… (Rohit Sharma) will bat in the middle order.”
New Zealand won the toss and decided to field in Dubai. India started with Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul, but both openers couldn’t get moving. Kishan befell for four off 8, while Rahul secured 18(16).
Virender Sehwag replied that given Kishan’s involvement in the middle order, it would have been more comfortable for him to adjust to that situation. Sehwag also said a warning mark for the team, saying this choice might lead to their retreat from the tournament. Sehwag continued:
“It’s not easy to suddenly adjust to batting in the middle order for either of them. It would have been easier for Ishan Kishan because he has opened in only a handful of games. It’s possible India will be out of the World Cup today.”
India could be on the way out of this #T20WorldCup .. the mindset & approach with all that talent so far has been so wrong #India
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 31, 2021
With KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan taking the keep your guard up front, Rohit Sharma came to bat at 3. He would have suffered his wicket off the first ball, hat it had not been for a lost catch by Adam Milne.
The vice-captain lasted but not for long, dying for a run-a-ball 14. Captain Virat Kohli, too, came and withdrew, adding a dismal 17-ball 9 as India achieved a below-par total of 110-7.
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