Hyderabad:Criticising just for the heck of it can be harsh on a team that is coming at the back of twin wins against the raw-pace-filled Pakistan team and the Netherlands -- not as menacing as others, but clinical. But criticism can be productive too, at times. So, are there any red flags ahead of the big games for India? Can we still nitpick from what has been an encouraging performance thus far?
ETV Bharat takes a look:
The Match against Pakistan:
If the mega match is anything to go by, India did register a memorable victory and was able to salvage from a point where it looked impossible to score 48 runs in the last three overs, considering the bigger ground dimensions of Australia and the caliber of Pakistani bowlers in Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
But Kohli, like a demigod, closed the deal with cricketing shots that had nothing extravagant about it. His swag that seemed lost in time due to loss of form was back. Kohli's swinging punch that deposited Rauf's delivery to sixes had the 90,000-plus spectators, breaking all the decibels of noise and the win looked like an eventuality with him being his animated self on the strip fisting punches in the air. In a beautiful presentation of skillful batting, he soaked up the pressure, withstood the early barrage, and then exploded.
Read: T20 World Cup: Legendary Dale Steyn picks five best bowlers of the tournament
A Kohli, Pandya-less India line-up may make one ponder over and raise questions over the batting line-up that will be up against the raw pace of South Africa and the teams they face later in the tournament. The biggest question is the place of KL Rahul in the team with many agreeing of the spot to be given to a left-handed batter Rishabh Pant, who will score runs with a better strike rate and brings versatility to the attack.
At a press conference on Saturday ahead of the big clash against South Africa, batting coach Vikram Rathour confirmed that KL Rahul will open the batting in Sunday's match at Perth, brushing aside suggestions of Rishabh Pant opening in place of him.
"I am sure that the day Rahul will be in good form and he's striking the ball from the middle of the bat, he can take up the role of the aggressor very easily and he will do that. It's not like one will be the aggressor and another won't be. We are looking to score as many runs as we can as a batting unit. So, whosoever has to play in an (aggressive) way, we will do that."
However, Rahul's 4 from 8 balls at a strike rate 50 against Pakistan and his 9 from 12 balls against the Netherlands don't inspire confidence. But any tweaks and changes can be counter-productive especially considering Rahul's contribution to India's T20 team in the past one year and it may just be a matter of time before he regains his touch.
(Left to Right) Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Axar Patel Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar blazing innings against the Netherlands did brighten up the SKY-line in Sydney but that Pakistan has been able to keep him quiet does raise doubts of his ability to play fast bowling, mostly in excess of 140 km/hr. The best batter in the world cricket nevertheless at the moment, if compared to another T20 great Jos Buttler, Yadav averages 42 and strikes at 149 while Buttler has a better strike and average in both areas against pace attack.
Yadav, however, is the most potent and vital cog who explodes of his own volition and razes teams to the ground alone. India's success will largely depend on how he scores in a high-octane tournament such as the World Cup.
Axar Patel
His 2 wickets that conceded 18 runs in quota of four over will give him plenty of confidence in the coming matches, the sixes in an over against Paksitan, who are better equipped at playing spin, might require addressal as the team looks to get benefits off his bat and ball. The fact that he is a like-to-like replacement of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who had to opt out of Australia owing to injury, make his job as crucial as Hardik Pandya in the team.
Fast bowling
While Arshdeep Singh's spell against Pakistan clipped the wings out of their team, one can't help but hope he comes good against other big-wigs on a flatter surface, where his pace might come into question. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, albeit his two maidens, has looked sharp but needs to be the man to raise his hand in bowling death overs and eliminate more batters in the power-play overs. One can't completely disdain Netherland's batters but the team surely lacks the quality that other big teams in the tournament possessed.
