Veteran wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik has defended India’s team management for opting to strengthen the batting line-up, even if it meant sacrificing a fast-bowling option in the playing XI. In their opening match of the Asia Cup, India decided to play only one frontline pacer – Jasprit Bumrah and partner with two fast-bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav opted for a line-up featuring three all-rounders, with Axar Patel as the third option.
This move extended the batting depth till No. 8, giving the side the cushion to adopt a fearless brand of cricket.
Meanwhile, the omission of Arshdeep Singh, India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, drew some flak from some fans, but Karthik shared the team management’s mindset behind the big decision.
Karthik stressed that Dube’s all-around ability outweighs the bowling edge Arshdeep might bring, ultimately shaping the team’s fearless batting approach.
“Whoever I add in isn’t going to add much in terms of what this team could be doing. Let’s say for example you put an Arshdeep Singh in place of Shivam Dube. Yes, he will give you a little bit more with the ball but that little bit is not worth what Shivam Dube gives me with the bat. It is not Shivam Dube in isolation. It’s what the team can do having that extra batter. So the whole batting approach changes,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“India need extra batter to tick all those boxes”
Karthik praised India’s fearless, high-intensity approach, crediting the extra batter for enabling such risk-taking cricket.
“I like this because of the way they play now, which is high intensity and high octane cricket, taking huge risks at the top and irrespective of the situation, going at a certain pace. And if you want to tick all those boxes, you need that extra batter,” he added.
The former wicketkeeper asserted that the Men in Blue have a clear blueprint with bat and ball for the next year’s T20 World Cup.
“India are a strong team in the lead up to this World Cup because they know what they want to do. They have a clear blueprint with bat and ball and they stick to it, which is always a good sign six months before a World Cup,” he added.