"The team wouldn't have won whether you scored those runs or not" - Aakash Chopra criticizes Kane Williamson's sedate knock
Aakash Chopra has criticized Kane Williamson for playing a sedate knock when New Zealand were chasing a massive target in the second T20I against India.
The Men in Blue set a 192-run target after being asked to bat first at Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 20. Williamson scored a painstaking 61 off 52 balls in the run chase as the Kiwis were bowled out for 126 to lose the match by 65 runs.
While reflecting on the Black Caps' chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted that the skipper's innings did not help the team's cause. He explained:
"Devon Conway and Kane Williamson's style of playing at the start is slightly archaic, it is not the T20 style of playing, especially if you are chasing 191. Kane Williamson stood there, you scored 61 runs off the 126 total runs your team scored, but the team wouldn't have won whether you scored those runs or not."
Chopra added that there seemed to be no intention to chase down the target. The former Indian opener elaborated:
"So Kane Williamson will have to ask himself what his role is because if such a big player plays at run-a-ball for 40 balls in a 191-run game, it seems there is no chance of winning the game for your team. Devon Conway was dismissed while trying to play a sweep shot off Washington Sundar's bowling."
Williamson walked out to bat in the very first over when Finn Allen was dismissed for a duck by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The New Zealand captain stayed in the middle until the 18th over but could never force the pace, hitting just four fours and two sixes during his 52-ball sojourn.
"That was a learning" - Aakash Chopra on Yuzvendra Chahal picking up wickets
Chopra pointed out that Yuzvendra Chahal once again proved that he is a wicket-taker. He stated:
"Yuzi Chahal picked up two wickets while giving away 26 runs in his four overs. He taught us that - 'you didn't play me for so long but I am a wicket-taker, allow me to take wickets'. I am again saying you don't need a batter but a bowler who picks up wickets at No. 8. So that was a learning."
Chopra acknowledged that not much can be read into Deepak Hooda's four-wicket haul but added that the part-time off-spinner needs to be used with the ball regularly. The renowned commentator said:
"Deepak Hooda picked up four wickets. Don't think he is Erapalli Prasanna because of these four wickets and that he will come and open up the opposition team. It does not happen like that but at least get him to bowl because no one bowls in India's top order."
Deepak Hooda is our Top Performer from the second innings for his brilliant bowling figures of 4/10 in 2.5 overs.
A look at his bowling summary here 👇👇
#NZvIND https://t.co/DiKpeIFyOn
Hooda registered figures of 4/10 in 2.5 overs. He was also on a hat-trick at one stage, having dismissed Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee off consecutive balls, but could not replicate the feat of the latter, who achieved the milestone during India's innings.