India Backed Washington Over Axar to ‘Win the Powerplay’, Says Ten Doeschate After Super Eight Loss

India’s decision to play Washington Sundar ahead of vice-captain Axar Patel in their Super Eight opener against South Africa was driven by a tactical plan to “win the powerplay”, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said, even as the hosts suffered a heavy 76-run defeat that left them facing a must-win situation in the group.

The call surprised many at the venue, with fans audibly reacting when Axar’s name was missing from the playing XI. Axar had been rested in the previous low-stakes fixture against the Netherlands to give Washington match time and was widely expected to return for the high-pressure Super Eight match.

Selection Rationale: Powerplay Threats

Ten Doeschate said the team’s analysis identified South Africa’s left-handed top order — Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton and David Miller — as the biggest early threats.
“When you can only pick one of the two options, we leaned towards someone who could bowl in the powerplay,” he said. “Axar can bowl in the powerplay occasionally, of course. But we feel we’ve got Washington to a point where he’s found a way to be effective in that phase.”

The strategy envisaged Washington delivering two overs up front to help India control the early momentum. However, in the match, India did not deploy Washington in the powerplay, opting instead for Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy — a sequence that fuelled post-match questions over the tactical consistency of the selection call.

Not a Reflection on Axar, Says Team Management

Addressing pointed questions on whether the decision amounted to a lack of faith in Axar, ten Doeschate insisted the choice was purely tactical and not a judgment on the all-rounder’s value to the side.
“It’s certainly not a reflection on Axar — his leadership and importance to the team are unquestioned,” he said. “This is the challenge we face almost every week: fitting 11 players into a squad of 15.”

He added that the team had also weighed the need for batting depth, retaining Rinku Singh as an additional batting option rather than playing an extra frontline bowler. “In hindsight, you could argue that leaving out a batter and playing another bowler might have been the right call. But when you’re making decisions in real time, that was the thinking behind the combination,” he said.

‘Messed Up on a Grand Scale’

Ten Doeschate acknowledged the scale of India’s defeat and called for a swift reset ahead of the remaining Super Eight fixtures against Zimbabwe and the West Indies.
“Very disappointed in the performance. We understand we’ve made a lot of mistakes tonight,” he said. “We’ve messed up on a grand scale, and now the onus is on this group to turn around and put in two solid performances.”

With qualification now hinging on back-to-back wins, India’s selection balance and powerplay strategy are likely to face closer scrutiny as the tournament enters its decisive phase.