Ranchi: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended the decision to promote Shivam Dube to No. 4 in the second T20I against the West Indies, insisting that flexibility in the batting order remains a key part of the team’s strategy in the shortest format.
Dube was sent in ahead of captain Shreyas Iyer, who had scored a century in the opening match of the series. However, the move failed to deliver the desired result, with Dube managing just seven runs off 10 deliveries as India lost momentum during the middle overs.
India eventually posted an imposing 249 for five, but the West Indies chased down the target in 18.3 overs, winning by six wickets and levelling the five match series 1-1. The defeat brought renewed attention to the decision to change the batting order.
Speaking after the match at the JSCA Stadium, Gambhir explained that Dube had been used in a similar role on several occasions, including during the T20 World Cup and in matches before the tournament. He maintained that the promotion was part of a broader strategy rather than an isolated experiment.
India backed Dube to counter the opposition’s spin attack, despite concerns about Roston Chase’s effectiveness against left handed batters. In hindsight, India’s loss of wickets in successive overs affected their progress, with top scorer Sanju Samson also departing during that phase.
Iyer and Tilak Varma subsequently accelerated the scoring, helping India reach 249 and recover some of the momentum lost in the middle overs. However, the total proved insufficient as the West Indies produced a remarkable batting performance to complete the chase.
Gambhir acknowledged that tactical decisions do not always produce the intended outcome, but stressed that India had also benefited from promoting Dube in previous matches.
He reiterated that the team would continue experimenting with batting positions according to match situations and opposition strengths. According to Gambhir, only the opening positions should be considered fixed in T20 cricket, while the remaining batting order must remain adaptable.
The coach’s comments underline India’s emphasis on tactical flexibility as the team seeks to refine its combinations and regain control of the series in the remaining matches.
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