Most things India do in this series indicate what to expect in the Champions Trophy 2025, and this new batting order suggests India might persist with it in the ICC event.
India have done so many experiments since Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach, and the most common has been using the LHB-RHB combination. This management has done weird things with their batting order across formats to ensure partnering a right-hander with a southpaw.
The latest in that section is Axar Patel’s promotion to No.5 in the ongoing ODI series against England. KL Rahul specialises in that slot and boasts a marvellous record, but the management has demoted him, as they always do with him.
To Axar’s credit, he has done well in both outings, registering scores of 41* & 52. He has handled spin well and batted at a good rate to keep India ahead of the required rate.
Most things India do in this series indicate what to expect in the Champions Trophy 2025, and this new batting order suggests India might persist with it in the ICC event. This move has certain benefits but can backfire at crucial stages for several reasons.
Analysing the pros and cons of Axar Patel at No.5
Pros:
- Axar Patel’s promotion gives India an LHB in the top five, laced with RHBs. If KL Rahul continues at No.5 and Hardik Pandya at No.6, India won’t get any LHB until No.7, making the batting unit one-dimensional.
- Axar Patel is among the finest spin players in this team. He can take on spinners and unsettle them from the start, making him an ideal partner for Shreyas Iyer.
- If Axar Patel bats at No.7, his batting skills are not maximised since he won’t get enough balls consistently. Meanwhile, his batting value is extracted the most when promoted up in the order.
- Axar Patel is a naturally aggressive batter and can keep the scoring rate high, even if a few wickets have fallen. His promotion would ensure India get a solid counterattacking batter to unsettle the bowlers while still having some batting left below him.
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Cons:
- Axar’s promotion brings KL Rahul to No.6, which might be too low a batting position for him. He knows how to construct the innings at No.5 and bat at an ideal tempo at this slot, for he has found ample success. That would also mean late entry for Hardik Pandya, who often requires time before exploding.
- Axar Patel can be contained by quality high-pace bowling, unlike KL Rahul, who has a better pace game. So, Shreyas Iyer at No.4 and Axar Patel at No.5 can backfire if speedsters bowl shorter-length deliveries into their body.
- Axar Patel’s innings construction is still a work in progress. So, if a wicket falls early, his gung-ho approach might further exacerbate things.
- Suppose India only play two spinners – Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav – in the XI due to conditions, and Axar is left out. That would mean reshuffling KL’s position, which will be hard for the batter to adjust, especially in alien conditions.
Hence, Axar Patel’s promotion has its own benefits and disadvantages, and India should be prudent with whichever way they go. All they need to ensure is sticking with what they do rather than changing his batting position every game.
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