Ahead of the much-anticipated T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8, former Indian batter Aakash Chopra has offered strategic advice to India for managing the formidable Finn Allen.
Allen has emerged as a significant threat, having single-handedly propelled New Zealand into the final with a blistering unbeaten century off just 33 balls against South Africa in the semi-final clash at Eden Gardens.
Chopra believes that India’s best approach to nullify Allen’s impact lies in exploiting his known vulnerability to spin. He specifically advocates for the deployment of Axar Patel against the in-form opener, emphasizing Allen’s less-than-stellar record against spinners.
Detailing his rationale, Chopra explained, “Finn Allen possesses a wide range of scoring shots due to his straight bat play. However, he tends to struggle against off-spin. When confronted with spin, he often retreats deep into his crease, attempting to play shots primarily with his wrists. While this technique might yield results on New Zealand’s pitches or flatter surfaces, it can be problematic against quality bowling.”
Furthermore, Chopra suggested another tactic to dismiss Allen: targeting an inside edge. He proposed that captain Suryakumar Yadav could rely on pacers like Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya in the initial overs to create such opportunities.
“Perhaps Axar Patel could be the key. Although we don’t have a specialist off-spinner, Axar can deliver arm balls that come in. If Allen goes deep into his crease, these incoming deliveries could hit his pads or even the stumps. Secondly, I have a strong feeling that he might be susceptible to an inside edge. Both Arshdeep and Hardik Pandya could exploit this, aiming for the ball to clip the inside edge and hit the stumps,” Chopra elaborated.
It is noteworthy that Axar Patel has had success against Allen previously, having dismissed him during the fifth and final T20I in the series preceding the T20 World Cup. Despite that dismissal, Allen still managed to score an explosive 80 runs off just 38 balls on that occasion in Thiruvananthapuram, underscoring his dangerous potential even when challenged.
