IND vs AUS 2022: "No 19th over no Bhuvi"- Fans react as Team India pick seven batters for a rain-shortened game
Team India have made the interesting decision to go in with just five proper bowling options (including an allrounder) for the rain-shortened game against Australia at Nagpur. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been dropped as the Men in Blue have beefed up their batting by picking Rishabh Pant, making it seven batters in the team.
Bhuvneshwar hasn't been in the greatest of forms of late and questions were being asked about his place in the Indian team. However, very few might have predicted Pant to be brought in as a replacement.
Fans on Twitter were baffled to see the hosts pick seven proper batters for an eight-over game instead of fixing their bowling woes. They were also excited to see what could happen in the eight-over game. Here are some of the reactions:
8 over ka match? bhai mai to 16th over se pahle batting hi nahi kar pata ๐ฉ๐ฉ https://t.co/EGM1I5RQC8
"Bhuvi aaj match 8 overs ka hai, so no 19th over for you https://t.co/sGy4JB8iyW
No 19th over no bhuvi
India gone with 1 bowler short because Sams is playing today, to make it an even contest #INDvsAUS
GADHO LEFT OUT BHUVI
Kitna batting chahiye 8 overs me ๐ฒ
Why have 7 batters for an 8 over game?
#INDvsAUS
Bhuvi rested as only 4 bowlers needed.
Rohit
Pant
DK
Will be batting order as per my views
What is pant even gonna prove in a 8 over a side game which already has 7 batters ๐ฅด
Team India should be happy to have won the toss
Captain Rohit Sharma had absolutely no hesitation in putting the visitors in to bat after winning the toss, as chasing gets easier in a shortened game with the batters knowing the target.
Hardik Pandya began well in the first over, as he found some swing and conceded just ten runs, which should be considered a win for the bowler in such a short game.
The hosts also managed to pick up the big wicket of the dangerous Cameron Green, thanks to some brilliant fielding from Virat Kohli. However, with Glenn Maxwell at the crease at the time of writing, they know they will need to keep chipping away with the wickets to restrict Australia to a gettable total.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Daniel Sams, Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood