Sunil Gavaskar defends Gautam Gambhir over Axar Patel batting promotion
The former India captain supported the tactical decision to move the all-rounder up the order during the second ODI in Wellington.
Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has backed the decision by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill to promote Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul during the second ODI against New Zealand at Hnry Stadium in Wellington.
According to the Times of India, the move drew criticism after Patel scored only seven runs, leaving India at 47/4 during a chase of 135. Gavaskar told the Sony Sports network that the tactical thought process was sound, noting that left-handed batters can disrupt bowling lines and lengths.
Gavaskar stated that the decision should not be judged only by the result, adding that if Patel had scored, the captaincy would have been praised. He noted that such experiments occur because a player like Rahul follows in the order.
Patel has previously occupied the No. 5 position during the 2024 T20 World Cup final and the Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. In this match, Rahul remained unbeaten on 26 when rain ended play, with India at 113/7 after 26 overs.
At the time of the abandonment, India led the DLS par score of 109 by four runs. The result gave the visitors a four-wicket win and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Earlier, India's pace attack restricted New Zealand to 134 in 41 overs. Gurnoor Brar took 4/30, while Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj took two wickets each, as Daryl Mitchell top-scored for the hosts with 55.