Mavi was handed his T20I debut in the first game of the series in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3, after Arshdeep failed to fully recover from his illness. The right-arm seamer returned figures of 4/22 in his four overs to help the Men in Blue register a two-run win while defending a 163-run target.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked about India’s selection dilemma if Arshdeep is fit and available for the second T20I, to which he responded:
Pathan was unsure if either Umran Malik or Harshal Patel could instead make way for the left-arm seamer, who he feels is a certain pick in the XI once available for selection. The former Indian all-rounder reasoned:
Arshdeep has scalped 33 wickets in the 21 T20Is he has played. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) seamer not only provides the left-arm angle but also the ability to bowl effectively both in the powerplay overs and at the death.
“There has to be a method to the madness” - Irfan Pathan says India cannot afford to lose wickets in clusters in 2nd T20I
Pathan was also asked about his thoughts on the batting approach India should follow, to which he replied:
The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by saying that the Indian batters need to improve their shot selection, elaborating:
Hardik Pandya and Co. were reduced to 94/5 at one stage in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel’s unbroken 68-run sixth-wicket partnership bailed them out of trouble and helped them post a fighting total.
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