India’s fourth wicket fell late on Day 4 of the ongoing Lord’s Test as nightwatchman Akash Deep failed to make a mark with the bat. Sent in to shield the middle-order from facing the final overs of the day, Deep’s brief stay lasted only 11 balls. Partnering KL Rahul, who remained solid amid a flurry of dismissals, Deep couldn’t survive the testing phase. By stumps, India found themselves precariously placed at 58 for 4, chasing a testing target, with pressure mounting on their batting unit.
Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has now shed light on the reasoning behind Deep`s promotion in the order. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin recalled a similar instance from a previous series under head coach Rahul Dravid, involving Rishabh Pant.
“I`ll tell you a story. Remember that Test match in Mirpur when India were chasing some 140 runs to win? So I was sitting and relaxing in the dressing room after bowling. It was all hot and humid. I was sitting next to the analyst, and Rahul Dravid (head coach) was there a little further. After we lost the first two wickets, Rishabh said `main nahi ja raha batting karne` (I am not going out to bat) to Rahul bhai. There was a good 30-40 minutes left. But he said I am not going. When the next wicket fell and the No. 4 batter was supposed to go in, he went inside and they had to send Axar Patel first, I guess, and then Jaydev Unadkat to go in as the nightwatchman,” Ashwin recounted.
According to Ashwin, Pant has never been comfortable with batting in the final session of the day, that may have influenced the decision to send Deep out late on Sunday.
“Rishabh does not like batting in the last 30-40 minutes of the day. That`s why they sent Akash Deep. But see, it is about protecting your best batter, yes. But when you send a batter like Akash Deep and then he gets out, it puts you in even more of a situation. When we were playing against New Zealand, the same thing happened. When Virat Kohli got out, Rishabh was not in the mood to go out. Then we had to Siraj. And when he got out, again a proper batter had to go out,” Ashwin explained.
Ashwin acknowledged the dilemma such decisions present but suggested that this time, it might have been a calculated move given the match context.
“All in all, it is a catch-22, but today it was ok because it was only 20-25 minutes. Because you want 190, and protecting Rishabh is important. So it`s a good decision that he made. But all in all, I want to see how Rishabh goes about his business. The right strategy was to ensure Rahul bats long, but Rishabh could have gone in. 30-40 runs is crucial I`m such a low-chasing total,” he added.
