Harman Is Still India’s Best T20 Captain: Anjum Chopra

Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Adidas Match Center Live’ program, JioStar expert Anjum Chopra thought that Richa Ghosh should have come a little early as India was inadequate with the bat:

“First of all, the runs on the board were not enough. 170 is a good total, but against Australia, it was slightly below par with a knockout in the World Cup. Then you have to back it up with early wickets. Against a team like Australia, one or two wickets will not be enough. To smother a team like Australia, you need to score extra runs to give your bowlers some cushion. Also, I felt Richa Ghosh should have been sent off in the 17th over. You didn’t get the finishing touch by sending Richa off too late.” and the fifth bowler continued to be a problem for the Indian team as always.”

On the lack of clarity in terms of batting positions:

“If Yastika Bhatia is your No. 3 batsman, then why didn’t she bat at that position in this match? If Jemimah Rodrigues is playing at No. 3 in the England series, then why didn’t she do that in the World Cup? I personally believe that Harmanpreet should bat at No. 3 and you have to have a batsman at No. 4 who can have a positive impact on the game, and that is Richa Ghosh. Except for the Bangladesh match, Richa has not batted at No. 4 throughout the tournament, everyone knows that, even the opposition knows that. So if batting is India’s strength then let it have the impact you need and hope Australia are a well oiled unit, scoring seven or more against them will not win you a match, you will have to go for 9.”

On whether Harmanpreet Kaur will remain India Captain in T20Is:

“I still think he is the best captain to lead India. I don’t think any other player is ready to captain at this point. If we start talking about areas to work on, from captaincy to batting to bowling, there will be a long list of homework. The most important area of focus has to be the approach required for the T20 format. We only see this in the WPL in all its glory. As soon as they come back into the Indian team, they get back into their shell. They go completely out. Otherwise, there has to be the approach required for the T20 format. 200 at least.” Get to 180. Build up to go that distance. The top order hasn’t given enough support. I think Harmanpreet is your best captain at this point, but when it comes to that fearless approach, finding out the answers has to start from the next day.”

Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Adidas Match Center Live’ program, JioStar expert Aakash Chopra weighed in on the timing of the decision to retire Jemimah Rodrigues:

“My problem is that retiring a batsman is seen as a taboo, as if it means you’re insulting him. But that’s not the case. I’ll draw a simple parallel. If a bowler isn’t having a great day, we don’t force him to bowl his full quota. So, if a batsman is trying to best his level and can’t time the ball well, why should they bat all their innings? After all, it’s a Shafali and Smriti Mandhana is already eight balls in when she almost bowls.” “You were behind, then Harmanpreet had to finish the game alone, it’s not like Richa started hitting sixes from the very beginning, but if you have resources and you’re still not using them well, you’ll regret your decision of not bringing Richa in earlier.”