NEW DELHI: Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has robustly defended his strategy of frequently shuffling the batting lineup, stating that the concept of a fixed batting order is "very, very overrated" in white-ball cricket. This comes after India secured a 2-1 ODI series victory against South Africa, a series marked by notable positional changes for several players.
Gambhir's Philosophy: Flexibility Over Fixed Order
Addressing the media in a post-match press conference, Gambhir elaborated on his core belief. He emphasized that while a set order is crucial in Test cricket, the one-day format demands a different, more adaptable template. "I've always believed that in white-ball cricket, batting orders are very overrated, except the opening combination," Gambhir asserted. His comments were a direct justification for decisions like pushing natural opener Ruturaj Gaikwad down to number four and using all-rounder Washington Sundar in multiple slots throughout the series.
Praising Washington Sundar's Team-First Character
To illustrate his point, Gambhir highlighted the invaluable contribution of Washington Sundar, who batted at positions ranging from three to eight. He praised Sundar's selfless attitude and significant impact despite the constant changes. "That's the kind of character he is, and that's the kind of character we want in that dressing room, who are willing to do everything for the team with a smile on his face," said Gambhir, acknowledging the difficulty of such a role from his own experience as a batter. The coach expressed strong confidence in Sundar's "massive future" with the Indian team.
Dew Factor and Looking Ahead to T20Is
Gambhir also admitted that dew played a major role in the outcome of all three ODIs, heavily favouring the team bowling second. He noted that this was an expected challenge during this time of the year. However, he believes the upcoming five-match T20I series will be different. "Look, it probably won't affect T20s much because both teams will get dew," Gambhir explained. He reasoned that in the shorter format, starting later in the evening, the dew effect is more evenly distributed between the two sides compared to the 50-over game.
The coach's firm stance indicates that fans can expect to see continued experimentation and a focus on player roles based on match situations rather than rigid numbers, as India builds towards future ICC white-ball tournaments.
