Avesh Khan’s selection to bowl the final over in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the second T20I against the West Indies, which India lost with 11 to defend, sparked questions. West Indies’ first victory over India in three years came as a result of an error with his front foot on a no-ball that resulted in a six.
The Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, responded to the question on why Avesh was given this duty by saying: “Since Bhuvi has been helping us for a very long time, we are well conscious of what he does for us. Unless you give men like Avesh and Arshdeep the chance to prove themselves, you’ll never know. It is only one game, though. The very next step is to give them support because they already have the essential knowledge and skills.”
Avesh battled once more less than 24 hours later in the third game-related match. He gave up at 15.66 in the three overs, allowing 47 runs to be scored, further damaging his limited international career.
Because West Indies hitters prefer pace, Avesh gave it to them in the third game and paid the price. Additionally, he bowled on a length and was run out. Arshdeep Singh was able to limit the hitters to some extent by bowling full or back of length with pace off, as opposed to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who frequently took pace off and bowled at a back of length.
In the final 5.2 overs of the previous five T20Is, Avesh has given up 17.4 runs per over with no wickets taken, scoring 0 for 14, 0 for 19, 0 for 11, 0 for 20, 0 for 12 (in 2 balls), and 0 for 17. With 15.66 runs per over in today’s game, he currently holds the record for the highest strike rate by an Indian pacer in T20I innings with a minimum of two overs.
Batting was anticipated to be a little challenging on the same pitch that was used for the second T20I. West Indies were kept in check during the middle overs, but Shimron Hetmyer’s powerful hits near the end helped them reach 164. After Rohit Sharma was forced to depart hurt owing to a back spasm, India continued their aggressive batting style with Suryakumar Yadav leading the chase from the opening spot and setting it up brilliantly on a slow surface.
Suryakumar displayed his batting prowess with precision in the centre of the field. He hit eight fours and four sixes in his outstanding 76 off 44 balls. The victorious chase was finished in 19 overs thanks to the early-starting efforts of Suryakumar and Shreyas Iyer, who together scored 86 off 59.
When Dominic Drakes was added to the West Indies lineup for the third game, Rohit defended India’s struggles against the left-arm angle. In the second T20I, India’s top order struggled against players like Shaheen Afridi, Reece Topley, David Willey, and Obed McCoy.
Suryakumar, who kept the runs coming and the boundaries coming, didn’t seem to care much. It made no difference that neither team had more than 24 hours to recover from the second T20I’s delayed start. Even though the chase was only two overs in, Rohit had already departed the field. It was important that Suryakumar had the skills to lead his side beyond the obstacles in front of him and his team, especially in such a constrained circumstance. Despite having the luxury of Suryakumar, India faces a dilemma with Avesh because they only have a limited number of opportunities to provide him before deciding on their team for the T20 World Cup.
