Chennai, February 25 Former India coach Ravi Shastri considers the defeat against South Africa in the Super 8s as a blessing in disguise and feels that the "shakeup" was much needed for the defending champions to "reflect and reset" before the business end of the T20 World Cup.
India will be desperate to make a strong comeback against Zimbabwe here on Thursday after the heavy 76-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in their Super 8 opener in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The loss against the Proteas was, incidentally, India's first defeat after 12 successive victories across the last two editions of the T20 World Cup.
"You win 12 matches in a row, there's bound to be an off day. And I'm glad it came early. It might just be the shakeup India needed," Shastri said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.
"It might also make them rethink their strategy regarding the composition of the team going forward.
"They would have learned from that experience that they can't take things for granted, because in this Super Eight, if you lose one more (match), then you are putting yourself under serious pressure."
Speaking about the team composition for Thursday's crucial match, Shastri advised India to play an extra spinner, keeping in mind the spin-friendly Indian conditions.
He is in favor of bringing back vice-captain Axar Patel, who was replaced by Washington Sundar in the last match.
"They have to bring him back. You need that experience. I would say play both (Patel and Sundar). Give yourself that extra option. Because on a given day, you're bound to have one bowler who's going to have an off day. For example, Varun Chakravarthy on Sunday," Shastri noted.
"If Axar Patel is playing, he might be batting at No.8. You have Hardik Pandya at No.5, you have Shivam Dube at No.6, and you have Washington Sundar at No.7. Axar can also go at No.5."
"Now, if eight batsmen can't do the job in T20 cricket, then something's wrong, especially with that kind of firepower. The missing piece is that you're not giving yourself that extra option of a bowler, which I think is important," he added.
Australia legend and ICC Hall of Famer, Ricky Ponting, also feels that India missed a trick by not playing Axar against the Proteas, and expects the hosts to field their best possible XI.
"Listening to the commentary, the reason Axar didn't play (against South Africa) is because of the left-handed batsmen in the opposition side. But there are still some right-handed batsmen there. It just comes down to the captain's art of being able to use Axar at the right time," Ponting said, who has led Australia to two ODI World Cup triumphs.
"I would be going back to the basics. I'd be just looking at their lineup. Who's our best XI for the conditions in Chennai?
"If that has Axar Patel in it, great. If it has Kuldeep Yadav in it, that's the other one that I'd be thinking about bringing back because it doesn't matter with him whether it's left-hand or right-hand. He can bowl wrong ones and spin the ball away from the left-hand outside edge of both those batters," he added.
