Sunil Gavaskar has criticized India’s approach in their crushing 76-run defeat to South Africa national cricket team in the T20 World Cup, saying the batters failed to learn from the opposition and allowed overconfidence to dictate their downfall.
South Africa ended India’s 12-match unbeaten run in the tournament with a commanding performance. After early setbacks, Dewald Brevis and David Miller steadied the innings with a crucial 97-run partnership, guiding the Proteas to 187/7 on a surface that wasn’t easy for strokeplay.
Gavaskar felt that the partnership provided the perfect blueprint for India’s chase. “Having seen how Brevis and Miller built their stand, that was the approach required from the Indian batters,” he said. “Instead, they came out with overconfidence, threw their bats at everything and kept losing wickets. South Africa outsmarted India and fully deserved the win.”
India’s reply never gained momentum. The top order collapsed inside the Powerplay, with Ishan Kishan (0), Abhishek Sharma (15) and Tilak Varma (1) falling cheaply as the team slipped to 26/3. They were eventually bowled out for 111 in 18.5 overs.
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Gavaskar stressed that the required rate, around 9.5 per over, did not demand reckless hitting.
“You don’t have to score 70 in the Powerplay every time. Even 55 or 60 would have been a solid platform,” he said. “Tilak is usually a street-smart batter, but I was disappointed. With Abhishek struggling for runs, the responsibility was on him to settle in and build a partnership. Instead, wickets kept falling because of a reckless mindset.”
Looking ahead to India’s next clash against Zthe imbabwe national cricket team, Gavaskar suggested a possible change in the playing XI. He backed the return of Axar Patel, who missed the last two matches, potentially in place of Washington Sundar.
“I would bring Axar back, especially considering Zimbabwe don’t have many left-handers. Washington hasn’t been utilized properly. Against South Africa, he bowled only two overs and didn’t contribute with the bat. Against the Netherlands, he bowled four overs without taking a wicket. I think time has run out for him, Axar should come in,” Gavaskar said.
However, he also acknowledged that dropping Arshdeep Singh would be harsh after his impressive spell against South Africa, suggesting the team management might still stick with the same combination.
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