Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir
India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109 when the match was abandoned, handing the visitors a four-wicket victory and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Daryl Mitchell top-scored for the hosts with 55, but New Zealand’s total proved insufficient as India secured another DLS victory in the series.
The left-hander has previously been trusted with a higher batting position in important matches, most notably during the 2024 T20 World Cup final, when he forged a crucial partnership with Virat Kohli. Because you have to change the line and length you would have for a right-hander, “The bowlers have slight difficulty if a left-handed batter comes.
If Axar had scored runs, you would have said how good the captaincy was. Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar has backed the team management’s decision to promote Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul in the second ODI against New Zealand, explaining the tactical thinking behind the move despite the all-rounder’s failure with the bat. The decision by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Gill to push Axar up the order attracted criticism from sections of fans and experts. However, Gavaskar felt there was sound reasoning behind the move, particularly the advantage of disrupting a bowling attack’s plans by introducing a left-handed batter. In trying to do that, your line can change slightly even to the right-hander, where more chances of getting runs are created,” Gavaskar explained, speaking on Sony Sports network after the game. The former India captain also pointed out that such tactical decisions should not be judged solely by their outcome, as they can produce different results on different occasions. “There was nothing wrong with that thought process. Such moves work at times and don’t work on other occasions, and it didn’t work this time. You also knew there was a solid player like Rahul after him. That’s why you experiment at times,” he added. Axar’s promotion was not an entirely unfamiliar move for India.