Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has criticised Axar Patel for bowling just two overs while allowing part-time Nitish Rana to complete his full quota during Delhi Capitals’ (DC) clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). With several left-handers in SRH’s top order, Delhi opted to use Rana’s off-spin. However, despite conceding 55 runs in his four overs, only his 27th bowling outing in IPL history, the move raised eyebrows. Meanwhile, frontline spinners Axar and Kuldeep Yadav bowled just two overs each.
Finch was openly critical of the decision, saying, “We’ve been sitting there scratching our heads, haven’t we? Your two Indian premier spin bowlers, Axar Patel, the skipper, and Kuldeep Yadav, bowled four overs between them. A part-time offspinner in Nitish Rana has wheeled out four overs. To me, that makes no sense,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
He further questioned Axar’s reluctance to bowl to left-handers, even after dismissing Travis Head, suggesting it reflects an issue with mindset.
“It’s the responsibility of your captain, your senior player, your retained player, your best bowler, an Indian bowler, he’s one of your core bowlers in the Indian cricket team. That’s no small bit. He’s a double World Cup winner. So the fact that he doesn’t trust himself to execute under pressure and to defend himself against any left handers, as soon as a left hander walks to the crease, not for me today, thanks. To me, that says more about his attitude towards it than anything else,” he added.
In the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a massive 242 in their 20 overs with the help of a brilliant unbeaten century of Abhishek Sharma. Delhi Capitals fell short in the chase, managing 195 and losing the game by 47 runs.
