 "T20 World Cup: India scrape through to Super 8s, but questions about right batting combination remain")
For the second consecutive match in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Team India had to scrape through. For the second match in a row at the T20 World Cup, Team India was for a while at the receiving end of things. This is why it has been far from a smooth ride for the Men in Blue in their New York leg of the 2024 T20 World Cup. While their seven-wicket win over co-hosts the United States of America did guarantee them a spot in the Super Eight stage , the Rohit Sharma-led side’s performances, especially with the bat, do raise a few questions.
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Having said that, the bowling attack now seems like somewhat of a settled unit. Arshdeep Singh (4/9) is gradually finding his feet and so is Hardik Pandya the bowler, who has taken seven wickets from three matches so far. There’s no need for explanation as to how Jasprit Bumrah keeps getting better with every passing match, although Wednesday was a rare off day for him with figures of 0/25.
Read: T20 World Cup Group A scenarios
So, while India’s pace bowling looks set, it’s the batters who need to pull up their socks. And with their game against Canada on Friday being a dead rubber from India’s perspective, there’s an opportunity to rectify a few aspects.
Should Kohli bat one down? Should India open with Jaiswal and Rohit?
On paper, a seven-wicket win while chasing down a meagre total of 111 in a T20 might look pretty comfortable. Especially, when you take into account a team like India, who are known to boast of match-winners in their side. However, on Wednesday, that was far from the reality at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe reality that hit hard on Wednesday is that —maybe, just maybe, it could be time to move on from an opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Sure, the experience these two provide as openers is immense and they are often considered in a league of their own. But repeated failures like this must call for change.
A change that will do good for Team India in the forthcoming matches.
Kohli has been tried and tested successfully at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL as an opener but international cricket is a different ball game altogether and it may not be a bad idea for the team management to bring in a fresh, young face in Yashasvi Jaiswal to open with Rohit.
In such a case, Kohli, who has a good record and is proven at No 3 in T20Is, would be the perfect choice at No 3, but that would come at the cost of demoting Rishabh Pant to number four. For long, Kohli has held on to that number three spot in the shortest format, and maybe the veteran can do some justice by returning to that very same spot.
Kohli batting one down will pose other challenges as well. Out of form Ravindra Jadeja might have to make way, which means India would have to go in one less all-rounder. That, however, may not matter much as far as the bowling lineup is concerned with Dube and Axar Patel also being part of the line-up.
In fact, the top-order’s failure against the USA was a perfect example of why the Indian team management does need a contingency plan, or a Plan B in place. Kohli was dismissed for a first-ball duck ( his first-ever duck in T20 World Cups ) and Rohit (3) also saw his stint in the middle get over early. Both were victims of a high-flying Saurabh Netravalkar as batting continues to be a tough job in the USA and West Indies.
And Rishabh Pant (18) too could not do much apart from hitting a four and a six. When SKY came into bat at number four, he knew he had to take his time and not play those risky shots. In fact, had it not been for a bit of luck with Netravalkar dropping SKY in the 13th over, and India getting those five penalty runs , things could have been a lot more different.
India 🇮🇳 qualifies for Super 8! 💪🏻#SuryakumarYadav's determined half-century, coupled with an outstanding bowling display, has propelled #TeamIndia forward! 👌🏻
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 12, 2024
WATCH THEM NEXT ➡ #INDvCAN | SAT, JUN 15, 6 PM | #T20WorldCupOnStar pic.twitter.com/OLQP1czjio
Dube, too, was struggling with the bat initially. He had failed to execute shots with accuracy during the earlier stages and even looked like he was batting with a bit of panic at one stage. Even his boundary in the 11th over, off Jasdeep Singh, where he got an edge and went past the keeper, looked like a lucky escape for Dube.
However, it’s that one six off Corey Anderson in the 15th over, when he finally executed his shot on the fuller delivery in the slot. Dube waited and kept a close eye on the ball, before dispatching it over deep midwicket for a six.
Sure, it wasn’t the best of the wins for the Men in Blue. With games coming in thick and fast, it only makes their job at hand tougher. While they can afford to maybe get some time off, relax and come back refreshed, there’s no room for complacency whatsoever.
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