It is not unprecedented in this Indian team under Gautam Gambhir to leave out the vice-captain. A star as big as Shubman Gill has had to face the ignominy of being dropped from the playing XI not too long ago. So, it was no surprise that Axar Patel was excluded from the XI for the Super 8 contest against South Africa.

Clearly, there are no special considerations for hierarchy in this Indian team. That's how it is - right or wrong is for the jury to decide - but the selection call proved costly for India, who were brought down to earth by David Miller-powered South Africa on Sunday night.

Whether bringing in Washington Sundar for Axar made cricketing sense is debatable. Here is an off-spinner who has not been a regular for his IPL franchise that has its home base in Ahmedabad. Of the 15 matches that Gujarat Titans played last season, Washington featured in only six - barely a third of the side's IPL fixtures. At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, he played just three out of seven games for the Titans in the IPL 2025.

"I don't think that's necessarily relevant. You've got to look up the makeup of his IPL team. We know what Washy's done while he's been with the Indian team and we judge him on that," said Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach, making it clear that IPL appearances - or the lack of them - are no criterion for selection or non-selection in the Indian team.

Washington was preferred to Axar, keeping the match-ups in mind and also because of the presence of three left-handers in the opposition's top five. But on the night, he failed to justify the theoretical, somewhat conventional approach of opting for an off-spinner rather than a left-arm spinner against left-handers. This Indian side under Gambhir, in any case, is not known for traditional approaches - it often throws caution to the wind and prefers adventurism over conservatism.

But Doeschate insisted the selection debate was based on the left-handers in the South African team. "We thought the majority of the threat was going to come from the left-handers. We wanted to play the extra batter (Rinku Singh), so it left us with one choice between Washington and Axar, and today we chose to go with Washy."

Washington failed to make an impact with the ball, his two overs costing 17 runs without a wicket. But what hurt India badly was the failure of the fifth bowling option. The Washington-Dube combine leaked 49 runs in four overs for just one wicket. On a night when the main spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy, was having an off day, some support from the other spinner would have helped India's cause. Washington failed to provide that much-needed backing - something Axar is known for.

Washington was clearly not in his element on the night. Apart from two innocuous overs, he failed to provide the impetus the team needed while chasing 188. He struggled to get going with the bat, and his 11 runs off 11 deliveries did little to help the cause. On the field, he also misjudged two catches - one went for six, and the other rolled over the line for a four.

Axar, on the other hand, has been a proven match-winner, and his contributions over the last two years cannot be overstated - whether in the 2024 World Cup or as recently as against Pakistan in Colombo. That he captains his IPL side surely cannot be a factor for the Indian team, but his recent form demanded that the vice-captain feature in the crucial Super 8 match in Ahmedabad, which, incidentally, is his home ground.

Washington ranks below his fellow spinners in terms of experience. Axar has bowled 550.3 overs in 162 IPL games, while Kuldeep Yadav, also a proven match-winner, has bowled 342 overs in 98 matches. In contrast, Washington has 186.3 overs in 66 games. And one reason he is not regularly picked in the Gujarat Titans XI, it is said, is the absence of a doosra in his repertoire.

As Doeschate says, IPL appearances are not a factor, but experience should count for something. Besides, both Axar and Kuldeep played in the last World Cup. If Washington is still preferred ahead of them, it is because the team management values his batting highly. He bats at No. 3 in Tests; here he was sent in at No. 5. Washington has had his moments in international cricket, but sadly, on Sunday night, he failed to live up to expectations.

"We thought the biggest threat was going to come from Quinton (de Kock) and Ryan Rickleton and David Miller. And when you can only choose one of the two, we thought of someone who can bowl in the Powerplay," said Doeschate.

Washington was not called upon to bowl in the Powerplay. South Africa were 41 for three by its end, with two of the three left-handers already back in the pavilion. The third - David Miller - proved unstoppable: neither Washington nor the other bowlers could contain him, and the veteran South African took the match away from India with his counter-attacking batting in the middle overs.