IND vs ZIM: "If You Are Going To Depend On No. 8, What Does It Tell You About Your Top 7 Then?" - Former Indian Captain Sunil Gavaskar Slams Team Management

India will take on Zimbabwe in their final Super 12 match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, November 6.

The Men in Blue have won three out of four matches and are in second place in the Group 2 points table with six points; Pakistan lead the table with six points. They need to win in their final Super 12 match against Zimbabwe to seal the top spot in Group 2.

Sunil Gavaskar believes that Ravichandran Ashwin is in the playing XI because of his batting rather than his bowling, which is not the right approach. The former skipper said that India didn’t have faith in their top seven batters. The 73-year-old stated that wicket-taking spinner Yuzvendra Chahal should be picked in place of Ashwin.

They Don’t Have Confidence In Their Top 7 – Sunil Gavaskar

“If you are going to depend on No. 8, what does it tell you about your top 7 then? Is the management saying that they don’t have confidence in their top 7 in a 20-overs game? I can understand a 50-over game, you look to have a bit more batting depth, but in 20-over game, if you think your top 7 is not going to bat for the entire 20 overs and get you enough runs then I don’t know,” Sunil Gavaskar said.

“At the end of the day, they know their oppositions and have their strategies down. I want Chahal to play against the Netherlands as well and now as well. But then not having played a match here and been thrown suddenly in the deep end isn’t fair,” he added.

In the ongoing World Cup, Ravichandran Ashwin has played four matches and taken just three wickets at an average of 35.33 with an economy rate of 8.15. Yuzvendra Chahal did not get a chance to play even a single match.

Also read: “Listen, I Will Never Touch A Cricket Ball Again Because It’s Not Something I Want To Go Through Again” – Former South Africa Skipper Faf Du Plessis