New Delhi [India], October 15 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer and domestic cricket giant Wasim Jaffer felt that Team India missed the services of middle-order batter Rinku Singh in the middle order during a massive chase of 248 runs against West Indies in the fourth T20I, saying that as a batter, he is "miles ahead of everyone else" and could have changed the game for India.
Jaffer was speaking on his YouTube channel. After unstoppable Shai Hope's fourth century of the India tour, the back-to-back T20I champions were tasked with hunting down 248 runs. Despite a half-century from Sanju Samson, who came out firing right from the start, Team India were barely hovering around the required run rate instead of being way above it.
A 70-run stand between Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy ignited hope and brought the equation to 59 runs needed in 24 balls, a gettable total. However, once they were dismissed, it was curtains for Team India, who will now play the fifth T20I at Bengaluru with the series on the line.
Notably, Rinku has not featured in Indian colours since the tour of Zimbabwe in July this year and overall, his use has been very low since last year.
Jaffer said, "If you look from a batter's perspective, Rinku is miles ahead of everyone else. He bats amazingly at number five and six, plus he is a left-hander. I feel it is very unfortunate that he is not part of this Indian team purely because he cannot bowl. I can understand Rajat's (Patidar) case, as he bats in the top order and there is no place there, but Rinku should be there."
"If you had Rinku in that position, you never know. He could have changed the game. He has the capacity and has won a lot of matches in franchise cricket in this manner," he added.
This year in T20Is, Rinku has made 152 runs in 13 matches and 10 innings at an average of 25.33 and a strike rate of 139.44, with best score of 44*.
Rinku has been particularly effective at number five and six. Across 22 T20Is at these spots, he has made 518 runs in 22 innings at an average of 43.16 and a strike rate of over 156, having cracked two fifties.
Speaking on all-rounder Naman Dhir, Jaffer cautioned that it is "too ambitious" to expect full four overs from the Mumbai Indians (MI) star, saying that for off-spinners, bowling after the powerplay becomes a difficult task if they do not have variations, especially in India.
So far, Naman has been the leading spinner with five wickets in four matches at an average of around 22, but his economy rate has shot up to almost 12 courtesy of beatings in past two outings, conceding 19 runs off his one over at Hyderabad and leaking 39 runs off his three overs at Indore, despite taking two wickets.
"It is a bit difficult for off-spinners to bowl after the powerplay if you don't have variety. Roston Chase does it; credit to him. If you do not have that cleverness or variation, especially in India, it becomes very difficult. So to expect that Naman Dhir will bowl four overs is too ambitious," he said.
Jaffer said that Naman's batting is very important for him to play T20Is. The all-rounder has had things rough while batting, managing just 14 runs across three innings.
"I feel his performance with the bat is very important for him to play T20 cricket. Unfortunately, that has not happened in the last two matches, but he has the capability to come and play a quick 25-30 cameo," he signed off.
With this win, the series is level 2-2, with an exciting decider at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru set for October 17.
While Hope (102* off 50 balls, with four boundaries and nine sixes) registered his fourth century of the India tour, including his second in the T20I leg, Keemo (5/41) got crucial wickets right from the start. For WI, Shimron Hetmyer (33 in 12 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Sherfane Rutherford (49* in 26 balls, with six fours and three sixes) also contributed important knocks with the bat, taking them to 247/3.
After a fifty from Sanju Samson (56 in 22 balls, with six fours and four sixes), India found themselves playing the catch-up game. A 70-run stand between Tilak Varma (43 off 25 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41 in 20 balls, with a four and four sixes) gave India hope; India's hopes were dimmed with their dismissals. Arshdeep Singh retired hurt in the middle of the final over after a hit on his arm, leaving India 25 runs short of the target. (ANI)
"Rinku could've changed the game": Wasim Jaffer feels India missed batter's presence in 4th West Indies T20I
