I Have No Issues With India Sticking To Same Combination: Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan believes South Africa can bounce back if their top order fires and their bowlers exploit Raipur’s bounce
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2025-12-03 07:10 GMT
As India and South Africa clash again today in Raipur for the second ODI, South Africa will be determined to level the series after dropping the first game. Speaking on ‘Game Plan’, Irfan Pathan believes South Africa can bounce back if their top order fires and their bowlers exploit Raipur’s bounce. He praised Virat Kohli’s adaptability and temperament in Ranchi, noted Rohit Sharma’s cautious spell against left-arm pace, and said India can continue with the same XI as long as they avoid losing early wickets
Irfan Pathan commented on South Africa fighting back against India in the second ODI:
“If they get a good start with the bat, especially if Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram score runs, things could look very different for South Africa. They can also bring Keshav Maharaj into the attack unless they want to give him more rest. Maharaj has been their primary spinner and bowled superbly at the 2023 World Cup. He is their main spin option and they should consider playing him, especially after the loss in Ranchi.”
On how South Africa might bowl to Virat Kohli in Raipur:
“There is some bounce in Raipur. I’ve played there many times, and the fast bowlers can extract something from the surface. Early on, they might try bowling on Kohli’s off stump and push him square on the off side. They will look to alter their lengths and lines, perhaps using more back-of-a-length deliveries to force him onto the back foot. Kohli played well through mid-off and the leg side and attacked in the air over long-off, so they will try to counter that. In his Ranchi innings, I saw two versions of Kohli: one aggressive while batting with Rohit Sharma, and the other extremely determined to protect his wicket once partners fell. He took full responsibility because India were effectively playing with only seven established batters.”
On Rohit Sharma’s innings:
“Rohit faced very few deliveries in the first phase, and against the left-arm pacers he was understandably watchful. Recently he has been more careful against left-arm seam. With someone like Marco Jansen, around 6 ft 8 in — you get extra bounce, and Ranchi had similar bounce early on. So Rohit’s cautious approach made sense.”
On India’s strategy for the second ODI:
“India using KL Rahul at No. 6 is clearly linked to the new ball rule. The ball might tail late in the innings, so having a solid finisher makes sense. I have no issues with India sticking to the same combination, provided they don’t lose too many wickets in the power play. The only thing KL needs to watch is his early strike rate. He must get going within his first 20 balls to make that role fully effective.”