Shubman Gill, India ODI captain, talked about the Men in Blue batting order and stated that KL Rahul and Axar Patel will be swapping places as per situations, as the team management sees the number five, six, and seven batting positions as flexible.
Gill emphasized that Axar Patel is another possibility to offer a left-handed presence in the middle order and that KL Rahul's position depends on the circumstances of the match and the number of overs left.
Rahul has been batting at various middle-order spots, and the team management continues to make use of his adaptability based on the needs of the team and the circumstances of the match.
"For us, positions five, six, and seven are flexible. If you look at our top four, they are pretty much settled, and all four are right-handed batters. So, depending on the situation, if we feel the need for a left-hander at number five, we can send Axar Patel. Similarly, if the platform is set and we feel KL Rahul is the right batter to come in, we make that decision based on the match situation," Gill said, ahead of the first ODI between India and New Zealand.
"Personally, I feel that positions five, six, and seven are more about the number of overs remaining and the situation of the game rather than sticking to fixed batting positions. We are very happy with the way our top and middle order is shaping up," he added.
Gill further stated that the return of Hardik Pandya would bolster India's lower-middle order and provide the batting lineup more depth.
"When Hardik Pandya comes into the side, our number seven and number eight positions would also be sorted, making us a much more balanced team in terms of our batting depth," he said.
India will have a young pace bowling lineup with Mohammed Siraj leading the likes of Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, and Gurnoor Brar. One thing common to all Indian pacers is their height.
Gill clarified that taller bowlers are preferred by India because they can provide more bounce and challenge hitters, especially when the ball is older and has less swing or seam.
He emphasized that a crucial component of India's bowling strategy is having bowlers who can use pace and bounce to limit scoring and provide wicket-taking opportunities during the middle overs.
"What I feel is that when the ball gets older, and there is not much seam or swing movement on offer, the challenge is how to make things difficult for the batters. You can do that either through the assistance available from the pitch, such as seam movement, which makes it difficult for batters to score, or by using pace and bounce to challenge them," he added.
"So, the idea is to identify bowlers who can make scoring difficult for the opposition and give us the best possible opportunity to take wickets during the middle overs. That has been the thinking behind this approach," he concluded.
The five-ODI series will begin on November 4 in Auckland.
(ANI inputs)
