"Wasn't too surprised by the move" - Dinesh Karthik on India sending Axar Patel ahead of Virat Kohli on Day 3 of 2nd Test against Bangladesh

Dinesh Karthik believes that India made the right decision by promoting left-handed batter Axar Patel ahead of Virat Kohli on Day 3 of their ongoing second Test against Bangladesh on Saturday, December 24.

He pointed out that Axar was sent ahead of Kohli to counter Bangladesh's left-arm spinners. Karthik also highlighted that the final session posed a stiff challenge for the Indian batters, given how the new ball was turning.

The keeper-batter suggested that going with a left-right combination made more sense at that juncture instead of having two right-handed batters at the crease. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik said:

"I wasn't too surprised by the move. We have to understand that it was the toughest phase of the day. There is something for the spinners on this track, especially with a hard new ball.

"It would be very hard to play left-arm spin here, knowing that we don't have too many attacking shots. So sending in Axar Patel for that left-right combination and trying to make use of the conditions."

Stumps on Day 3️⃣ of the second #BANvIND Test.

#TeamIndia move to 45/4 & require 100 runs to win with @akshar2026 & @JUnadkat at the crease.

Scorecard - bit.ly/BANvIND-2NDTEST https://t.co/d9w83R8qLt

Notably, Kohli walked in to bat at No.5 but failed to score substantially. The star batter perished to Mehidy Hasan Miraz after scoring just one run off 22 deliveries. Axar, on the other hand, chipped in with a valuable unbeaten 26-run knock as India finished 45/4 at stumps on Day 3.

" Axar Patel would have liked to have played a lot more positively" - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik further added that Axar Patel wasn't able to bat freely as the wickets kept tumbling at the other end. He emphasized that the southpaw would have played more aggressively had he gotten enough support from other batters.

He also claimed that the Indian think tank backed Axar to bat at No.4 because a quick knock at that stage would have put India in the driver's seat.

"Axar Patel would have liked to have played a lot more positively," Karthik elaborated. "But when he was batting today, wickets fell around him, not allowing him to take those big risks. You can look at it and say, why not send Virat Kohli, who is the best batter?

"But another way to look at it is if you send a left-hander there and he gets you a few runs and plays some attacking shots, it eases the pressure for the next batter coming in."

Axar Patel played wonderfully today - 26* (54) when other batsmen struggled badly, a crucial 26 runs at this stage for India.

Axar is expected to play a major role with that on Day 4 of the second Test as well. The visitors still required 100 more runs to secure victory and seal the series 2-0. A win here will help them keep their dream alive of making it to the World Test Championship final.