Dale Steyn Slams India for ‘Throwing Axar Patel to the Wolves’ After No. 3 Experiment

Dale Steyn criticised India for promoting Axar Patel to No. 3, calling the move a major mistake that unfairly exposed the all-rounder in a crucial match.

Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn raised concerns over India’s batting tactics in the second T20I in Mullanpur, particularly the decision to send Axar Patel at No. 3 during a 214-run chase. The promotion pushed Suryakumar Yadav down to No. 4, disrupting India’s usual order after Shubman Gill fell in the first over. Axar scored 23 from 21 balls but struggled to build momentum as India lost early control of the chase.

Steyn viewed the move as unnecessary risk in a must-win match. He suggested that India should have relied on their frontline batters rather than experimenting mid-series, especially with a chance to take a 2-1 lead.

“He (Axar Patel) is supposed to be your best batter. That’s not a trial-and-error situation — that’s just a major mistake in my opinion. And yes, Axar can bat, but sending him there felt like throwing him to the wolves. What was the role? If he walks in to slog from ball one, fine,” Steyn said on JioHotstar.

“Or if Abhishek had gotten out first and you wanted to maintain a left-right combination, that also makes sense. But it was a right-hander who got out, and you ended up with two left-handers at the top. A lot of question marks there. Perhaps there’s experimentation happening, similar to what’s happening in South Africa. But tonight, in a match where you could’ve gone 2–1 up, I would have sent your best batters and kept things simple,” he added.

Uthappa Warns Against Constant Batting Experiments

Former India batter Robin Uthappa also argued that India must lock in a stable top three to create consistency, especially in powerplay situations. He felt that early uncertainty over roles disrupts the foundation needed for either setting or chasing totals.

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“Your top three must be fixed, whether you’re setting a total or chasing one. These are specialist roles. Flexibility has its place, but that comes after the first six overs, once you’ve built a foundation. You can’t build that foundation when players don’t know their roles on a given day,” Uthappa said.

“Using a pinch-hitter is fine only in the right scenario, for example, if Abhishek gets out early and you maintain the left-right combination while still sending your best batter. Had he come in at one-drop, he would’ve gotten around 60 balls; instead, he walked in at No. 4. This constant experimentation has been going on for a while, and I worry it will hurt India at a crucial stage of a major tournament. You don’t want that happening at a World Cup,” he concluded.