India’s 76-run loss to South Africa in Chennai has been followed by almost as much talk about who did not play as about what actually happened on the pitch. When the stadium announcer reached the No.7 slot and read out “Washington Sundar”, the initial cheers turned into a long, puzzled “ohhhh”. Most supporters had assumed vice-captain Axar Patel, rested against the Netherlands, would walk straight back into the first Super Eight XI.
That choice – Washington in, Axar out – dominated the post-match press conference. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate faced a string of blunt questions, including whether India had effectively told their deputy skipper he was “not good enough” for this match.
“I don’t think it’s as straightforward as that,” ten Doeschate replied. “In our analysis, we felt the biggest threats were going to be Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton and David Miller. When you can only pick one of the two options, we leaned towards someone who could bowl in the powerplay. Axar can bowl in the powerplay occasionally, of course. But we feel we’ve got Washington to a point where he’s found a way to be effective in that phase.”
The theory sounded clear enough: Sundar’s off-spin early, then the pace trio, then Varun Chakravarthy through the middle. The practice was different. On the night India opened with Arshdeep Singh for three overs, Jasprit Bumrah for two and Chakravarthy for one. Sundar did not come on until the seventh over, by which time South Africa were already 55 for 1 and dictating terms. From the stands it was easy to conclude Axar would have been the more logical middle-over option.
“But the strategy was built around that initial assessment,” ten Doeschate said. “In a tournament like this, you want – and expect – players to understand that every decision is made with the best intentions: to pick the strongest XI for that particular game. I hope Axar sees it in that spirit as well.”
Ten Doeschate stressed several times that the move was not a last-minute gamble. India had kept Sundar in the squad throughout his rehab precisely because they believed his powerplay numbers would matter once the knock-outs arrived.
“A key part of today’s strategy was how well he [Washington] has bowled in the powerplay in T20 cricket,” he noted. “The idea was to go in with three frontline bowlers plus Washington, with two others sharing the fifth-bowler’s role. Winning the powerplay was going to be crucial. We had envisaged Washington bowling two overs up front, not necessarily being 30 for 3. That early position then gives you flexibility with the bat as well.”
Flexibility with the bat was another theme. India picked Rinku Singh at No.8 – essentially an insurance policy if the top order collapsed. With hindsight, Ten Doeschate conceded, a sixth specialist bowler might have served them better once South Africa surged to 210 for 5.
“In hindsight, you could argue that leaving out a batter and playing an extra frontline bowler might have been the right call. But when you’re making decisions in real time, we felt we needed Rinku as, effectively, an eighth batting option. That was the thinking behind the combination.”
To many supporters, leaving out an all-rounder who has taken 18 wickets at 6.5 an over this season, and whose lower-order hitting has rescued India more than once, still looks a risk that did not pay off. Ten Doeschate accepted the optics were awkward but insisted the door remains wide open for Axar.
“It’s certainly not a reflection on Axar – his leadership and importance to the team are unquestioned. But this is the challenge we face almost every week: fitting 11 players into a squad where 14 put up a strong case.”
Will India revisit the balance for Wednesday’s must-win fixture against New Zealand? Ten Doeschate hinted at flexibility but stopped short of promises. The coaching group will study how the Chennai surface plays over the next 48 hours and decide whether they need the left-arm spin-bat package that Axar provides, or whether to double down on the Sundar powerplay plan.
For all the selection chat, India’s main headache remains the top-order batting that slumped to 29 for 4 chasing 211. That collapse made the Washington-Axar debate feel marginal by comparison. Virat Kohli admitted afterward that the side “missed basic execution” with the new ball and the new bat.
Selection, execution, conditions – the usual T20 triangle. This time India mis-read at least one corner. They cannot afford a repeat.
