Run-Scoring Is Complicated When Players do Multiple Roles : JioStar expert Robin Uthappa

India fell short in a stiff chase against South Africa in the second T20I at Mullanpur, with the visitors levelling the five match T20I series 1-1. Speaking on ‘Follow The Blues’, JioStar expert Robin Uthappa dissected South Africa’s all-round display and questioned India’s batting strategy and the over-reliance on extreme flexibility in a big run chase.

Speaking on ‘Follow The Blues’, JioStar expert Robin Uthappa analysed how the visitors outplayed India in all departments: “South Africa batted and bowled exceptionally well to bounce back after the first game. With the new ball they were outstanding on that surface, Lungi Ngidi’s delivery to Shubman Gill was an absolute peach, and the ball to Abhishek Sharma cramped him for room on a testing back of a length. They consistently hit the right areas and kept India under pressure. With the bat, they made a clear statement by attacking India’s best bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, right from the start. Quinton de Kock was phenomenal, built strong partnerships with Aiden Markram, ran superbly with Dewald Brevis, and kept the tempo high by hitting in his preferred zones. Donovan Ferreira and David Miller then finished things off in style. It was a complete performance from South Africa, and on a rare off day for Bumrah and Arshdeep, they out-batted, out-bowled, and out-fielded India.”

On India’s batting strategy and the lack of role clarity in a big chase he explained, “You can lose early wickets, but for me the real issue was the batting strategy once Shubman Gill got out. If Axar Patel is walking in at that stage with such a deep batting line-up, he has to play as a pinch-hitter — someone you’re willing to risk early in return for quick runs and taking pressure off Abhishek Sharma. Instead, his 21 off 21 didn’t really serve that purpose, and as wickets fell around him, he was forced to change his approach and slow down, which hurt the chase. At the international level, batters need clear roles and a clear idea of how they’re going to construct an innings. Flexibility with match-ups after the first six to eight overs is fine, but you still need a solid foundation before you can chase a big score — you can’t build a skyscraper without a base. Asking players to prepare for multiple roles in the same game makes run-scoring more complicated, and that’s where India are missing a trick. I don’t agree with being overly flexible so early in the innings beyond the openers.”

Click here to watch the full episode - https://www.hotstar.com/in/sports/cricket/india-collapse-as-sa-draw-level/1271513222/watch*