"I am not ready to agree that he is ahead in the pecking order" - Aakash Chopra on Shreyas Iyer playing ahead of Deepak Hooda in 3rd Ind-Eng T20I
Aakash Chopra has questioned Team India's decision to play Shreyas Iyer ahead of Deepak Hooda in the third and final T20I against England.
The Men in Blue had already sealed the three-match series with wins in the first two T20Is. Consequently, they opted to make wholesale changes for the final game on Sunday, July 10.
Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan and Umran Malik made it into the XI at the expense of Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra reflected on the plethora of personnel changes Team India made for the third T20I. Regarding Iyer playing ahead of Hooda, he said:
"I was saying - don't make any change, go with the same team, what difference does it make? But that did not happen. What I found slightly baffling is that I understand that Shreyas Iyer is probably ahead of Deepak Hooda in the pecking order, although I am not ready to agree that he is ahead in the pecking order."
Iyer was notably the second-highest scorer for India in the third T20I, scoring 28 off 23 balls. However, Aakash Chopra believes it was an ideal opportunity to play Hooda as Pandya had been rested. The former Indian opener observed:
"Why he is ahead, I have got no idea. I feel Deepak Hooda should be slightly ahead in this list. If you were resting Hardik Pandya, then why not Deepak Hooda? There was a chance to play him which you have missed."
Didn’t deserve to be on the losing side, #SuryaKumarYadav played an innings gor the ages.
Also don’t see how Shreyas Iyer can fit into this T-20 side with so many better basman in this format -like Hooda sitting out. #IndvEng https://t.co/31COwcW8QQ
With Pandya rested, the Indian team had only five bowling options in the XI. Hooda's selection would have also given them a sixth bowling option in addition to his excellent recent form with the bat.
"This is very interesting" - Aakash Chopra on Ravi Bishnoi replacing Yuzvendra Chahal in the XI
Aakash Chopra termed Bishnoi replacing Chahal in the XI an 'interesting' call. He reasoned:
"Bumrah and Bhuvi were rested. Avesh and Umran got an opportunity to play here. Yuzi Chahal was also rested and this is very interesting in my opinion because Yuzi Chahal played only one match in Ireland also and Ravi Bishnoi played one, here Yuzi played two and Bishnoi played one."
While acknowledging that Arshdeep Singh was not in the squad for the final two T20Is, the reputed commentator feels the left-arm pacer could have gotten another game. Aakash Chopra elaborated:
"What about Arshdeep? You played him in the first match, after that he was not in the team. Obviously, when you are giving rest to Bumrah and Bhuvi, you cannot play him at all. Avesh and Umran were in the team for the first match also, they got an opportunity here but Arshdeep only one match."
Arshdeep Singh gave an excellent account of himself in the first T20I against England. Umran Malik and Avesh Khan played Sunday's game as the Punjab Kings pacer was not part of the original squad named for the final two T20Is.
India lost the third T20I against England by 17 runs, falling short in their chase of 216 despite Suryakumar Yadav's brilliant 117-run knock.