IND vs SA: “Rishabh Pant Used 6 Overs Of Spin In The First 10 Overs” - Zaheer Khan Praises Indian Captain For “Different” Tactics In 3rd T20I Vs South Africa
Published - 15 Jun 2022, 02:56 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:08 AM
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Former left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan lauded young Indian skipper Rishabh Pant for using alternative strategies in the third T20I against South Africa, including bowling six overs of spin in the opening ten overs.
India needed a win in the third T20I in Vizag on Tuesday to keep their hopes of winning the series alive after losing the previous two. The Indian bowlers put up a strong performance to limit the Proteas to 131 runs after defending a total of 179.
Zaheer Khan Praises Rishabh Pant
During a Cricbuzz conversation, Zaheer praised Pant for making some sensible decisions as captain during the third T20I and said:
“Rishabh used six overs of spin in the first 10 overs. That is something different from what we have seen in the first two games.”
He further claimed that the slow bowlers were rewarded for making the necessary modifications to the circumstances. Zaheer added:
“The spinners bowled a different trajectory. They were bowling a lot more flatter, especially (Yuzvendra) Chahal, who was also quicker through the air.”
While Chahal was named Player of the Match for his 3-20 in 4 overs, left-arm spinner Axar Patel finished with 1-28 in his bowling quota. Harshal Patel picked 4-25, including a significant win over David Miller.
Zaheer Khan Praises India For Delivering Under Pressure
Zaheer praised India for delivering under pressure and demonstrating how much they wanted to win. The 43-year-old added:
“What was required under pressure to deliver for the team, they have managed to pull it out. A very important game for the Indian team. They managed to survive and proved that they have a very strong case for a comeback in the series. That makes for a very exciting viewing for the remainder of the series.”
Indian openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan both scored half-centuries in the batting order as the hosts built a challenging 179 for five.
Despite winning in Vizag, India still has to win the remaining two games in order to win the series.
Zaheer Khan Wants Unchanged Side For 4th T20I
When asked if he thinks the Men in Blue would make any changes for the forthcoming matches, the former cricketer replied:
“Unless there is a forced injury, it’s unlikely that India will change their playing XI. If at all that route had to be taken, it was for this game. But India showed their faith in their playing XI and got the desired results.
You wouldn’t want to change unless the conditions are drastically different. Even in that case, I don’t see India making any changes.”
The fourth T20I of the India-South Africa series will be contested on June 17 in Rajkot, with the final game on June 19 in Bengaluru.
Tagged:
Harshal Patel IND vs SA 2022 Ishan Kishan Rishabh Pant Ruturaj Gaikwad Yuzvendra Chahal Zaheer Khan
