Ex-CSK Star Questions India's All-Rounder Strategy

Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel has voiced strong criticism regarding India's strategy in Test matches, particularly after their substantial series loss to South Africa. Patel believes the team management has erred by selecting too many all-rounders at the expense of specialist batters, a decision he feels weakened the batting order.

Patel articulated his view that Test cricket is fundamentally a game for specialists, advocating for a lineup composed of six dedicated batters. He pointed to the example of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who contributed little with both bat and ball, suggesting that a specialist batter would have been a more prudent selection. This approach, he argued, led to India's batting collapses and the eventual series whitewash.

While acknowledging India's good fortune in having quality all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, Patel questioned the necessity of a third all-rounder. He urged the team to reconsider their selection philosophy, emphasizing the need to prioritize established roles to achieve better results in the longest format of the game.