Robin Uthappa highlights lack of role clarity in India's 51-run T20I defeat to South Africa

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 13 (ANI): India faced a 51-run defeat to South Africa in the second T20I of the five-match series, with the Proteas levelling the series 1-1. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa analysed South Africa's all-round performance and critiqued India's batting approach, highlighting concerns over their dependence on excessive flexibility during a high-scoring chase.

Chasing 214 in 20 overs, India got all out for 162, with key batters like Shubman Gill (0), Suryakumar Yadav (5) and Abhishek Sharma (17) failing to make substantial contributions.

Speaking on JioStar show 'Follow The Blues', Robin Uthappa praised South Africa's all-round performance in the second T20I, highlighting their disciplined bowling, aggressive batting, and sharp fielding. He noted standout contributions from Lungi Ngidi, Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, and David Miller, while pointing out that India's bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh had an off day.

"South Africa batted and bowled exceptionally well to bounce back after the first game. With the new ball they were outstanding on that surface, Lungi Ngidi's delivery to Shubman Gill was an absolute peach, and the ball to Abhishek Sharma cramped him for room on a testing back of a length. They consistently hit the right areas and kept India under pressure. With the bat, they made a clear statement by attacking India's best bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, right from the start," Uthappa said.

"Quinton de Kock was phenomenal, built strong partnerships with Aiden Markram, ran superbly with Dewald Brevis, and kept the tempo high by hitting in his preferred zones. Donovan Ferreira and David Miller then finished things off in style. It was a complete performance from South Africa, and on a rare off day for Bumrah and Arshdeep, they out-batted, out-bowled, and out-fielded India," Uthappa added.

Uthappa criticised India's batting strategy in the second T20I, saying the lack of clear roles, especially after Shubman Gill's dismissal, hampered the chase. He argued that players like Axar Patel should have been used as pinch-hitters to relieve pressure, rather than being forced to adapt mid-innings.

"You can lose early wickets, but for me the real issue was the batting strategy once Shubman Gill got out. If Axar Patel is walking in at that stage with such a deep batting line-up, he has to play as a pinch-hitter -- someone you're willing to risk early in return for quick runs and taking pressure off Abhishek Sharma. Instead, his 21 off 21 didn't really serve that purpose, and as wickets fell around him, he was forced to change his approach and slow down, which hurt the chase. At the international level, batters need clear roles and a clear idea of how they're going to construct an innings," said Uthappa.

Uthappa emphasised that while flexibility is fine later in the game, batters need a defined role and a solid foundation early on to successfully chase a big total.

"Flexibility with match-ups after the first six to eight overs is fine, but you still need a solid foundation before you can chase a big score -- you can't build a skyscraper without a base. Asking players to prepare for multiple roles in the same game makes run-scoring more complicated, and that's where India are missing a trick. I don't agree with being overly flexible so early in the innings beyond the openers," Uthappa added. (ANI)

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