Why Jitesh Sharma Batted Ahead of Shivam Dube in IND vs SA 2nd T20I?

India's chase to 213 runs in the second T20I against South Africa did not go as planned. The Proteas got a key breakthrough as they dismissed vice-captain Shubman Gill on duck on last ball of first over. However, Abhishek Sharma also failed to make his mark. The attacking opener was send back to dressing room after scoring 17 runs. However India lost three wickets in power play overs.

Meanwhile, Axar Patel was given a chance to free his hands in the game against South Africa. But he was also sent back to dressing room after scoring 21 runs. However, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya steadied the ship in the middle. The duo formed a 51-run partnership which was important for India in this chase.

Why is Jitesh Sharma Batting Ahead of Shivam Dube in IND vs SA 2nd T20I?

As Hardik Pandya lost his wicket, India captain Suryakumar Yadav made a bold move. Yadav sent Jitesh Sharma is batting ahead of Shivam Dube because India required a specialist finisher and lower-order striker, a position that Jitesh thrives at with his powerful hitting and aggressiveness, especially when the ball is older.

Dube offers all-round potential, but Jitesh Sharma batting position fills the crucial No. 6 or No. 7 slot with more immediate clarity, as the team needed someone to finish games aggressively. However, the move didn't help India much as Jitesh was dismissed after a quickfire knock. Jitesh Sharma scored 27 runs as Lutho Sipamla got his wicket.

The only reason why Jitesh was send ahead of Shivam Dube was because of his batting skills in the death overs. Jitesh is currently one of the best wicketkeepers in India and has the ability to change the course of the game with his aggressive batting style.

To express himself, Shivam Dube batting position was changed which happens to be a tactical call from the head coach Gautam Gambhir. By the time Shivam Dube came to bat, it was too late as the game went to South Africa. Dube also did not last long at the crease as Ottneil Baartman got his wicket on the score of 1 run.

South Africa Makes a Strong Comeback

In India vs South Africa 2nd T20I, India lost to South Africa by 51 runs thanks to Quinton de Kock's brilliant innings of 90 runs. De Kock showed that he has still got it which is why he is considered as one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world. The Proteas scored 213 runs and restricted India on just 162 runs. It was a poor batting show from the India side as the players never appeared to be in the chase at any point. Tilak Varma was the only player who impressed while batting for the Men in Blue.

Tilak scored 62 runs and was the only ray of hope from one end but from the other end, he did not get any support. In the end South Africa won the game by 51 runs. The outcome is set to raise more concerns about India's bowling strategies and ongoing batting order experimentation. India will look to learn from the loss and develop a solid strategy for the next T20 International match against South Africa set to be played in Dharamsala.