"It won't happen by taking rest" - Parthiv Patel on Team India's search for perfect combination ahead of T20 World Cup
Former wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel believes that all of Team India's core players should play as many matches as possible to determine the perfect combination for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Several first-choice players have been rested over the course of this calendar year. Team India have fielded a second-string squad on several occasions. While it has helped the management dole out opportunities to the bench players and assess their strengths, there are still question marks over the form of first-team players who have played on a sporadic basis.
Opining that constant break hampers the process of putting together the right combination, Parthiv Patel said on Cricbuzz:
"I think that the batting unit needs improvement. You win matches when someone from the top three scores big. It is important to bring the right combination, and it won't happen by taking rest."
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While the bowling department appears to be in order in terms of skill and versatility, India have several unanswered questions over their batting unit. Despite plenty of experimentation, there are issues over form and the batting order.
"I don't mind Rishabh Pant opening the innings" - Parthiv Patel
Team India devised a new move in the final two T20Is of the series by promoting Rishabh Pant up the order. The wicketkeeper-batter has opened for the Delhi franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on four occasions in the past. His concerning form in T20Is as of late in the middle order prompted the management to experiment.
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Stating that the ploy to open the innings with Rishabh Pant is a good move considering the benefits, Patel said:
"I don't mind Rishabh Pant opening the innings, it is oriented towards attacking cricket. With this move, they might lose 2-3 wickets in the powerplay, but there is a chance of scoring 60-70 runs as well."
The southpaw scored 26 and 1 while opening the innings in the second and third T20I respectively against England. It remains to be seen whether the Men in Blue will persist with Pant in the top order amid many options in KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan.