3 issues India need to sort out before IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2022 match
India versus Pakistan has once again taken center stage in the cricketing calendar, this time in the 2022 T20 World Cup. The arch-rivals will meet in the Super 12 stage of the competition on Sunday, October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
India and Pakistan played each other twice in the recently concluded Asia Cup, with the Men in Blue registering a win in the preliminary round before being beaten in the Super 4 stage. Rohit Sharma and Co. have suffered a few setbacks in T20I cricket over the last few months, partly due to injuries but also due to form.
Heading into the T20 World Cup, India can't be labeled the outright favorites. Here are three issues they need to sort out before their opening game of the tournament against Pakistan.
#3 Yuzvendra Chahal's form - drop or play?
Yuzvendra Chahal has been a massive let-down over the last two years in T20I cricket, with his bowling style proving to be highly ineffective in the middle overs. Even in the Asia Cup against Pakistan, the leg-spinner did nothing to prove his potency.
India are thus left with a dilemma. Do they back Chahal, who has been their first-choice spinner in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup? Or do they drop him and play Ravichandran Ashwin, who hasn't done much wrong in T20Is and also has positive match-ups against the Pakistan batters?
Either way, India could go wrong. Chahal's flight and dip could come to the fore against the big boundaries at the MCG, while Ashwin's guaranteed economy could be the foil Axar Patel needs. The Men in Blue have a tough call to make, one that could cause issues in the team balance if not thought through.
#2 Left-hander in the middle order - Axar worth a promotion?
India's strategy against Pakistan in the Asia Cup didn't pay off in the Super 4 stage. They opted to play Rishabh Pant to counter Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, but the southpaw couldn't make an impact and has since fallen out of the playing XI.
How will India counter Shadab and Nawaz in the T20 World Cup? They're now without a left-hander in the top five, with Axar Patel being the only option in the entire batting lineup. Is he good enough to be moved up the order if the situation presents itself? So far, there have been no clear indications of Axar's batting ability in T20I cricket, especially as a floater/spin-hitter.
India's top three aren't exactly assured against leg-spin and left-arm spin, and they don't have a left-hander capable of putting off the opposition. This issue has cost them before, and could do so again at the T20 World Cup if they don't settle on a solution.
#1 Death bowling - is there even a solution?
India have been left clutching at straws to fill the Jasprit Bumrah-shaped hole in their pace department. In the lead speedster's absence, Arshdeep Singh is the side's best bet at the death. But who will give the left-armer company?
Since returning from injury, Harshal Patel has been a shadow of his former self. He has constantly leaked runs even while bowling to lower-order batters in practice matches. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, on the other hand, has been a letdown at the death for quite a while now. Mohammad Shami is more suited to powerplay bowling, too.
The most India can hope for is setting clear plans to utilize the conditions in Australia and their bowlers executing them when push comes to shove. Death bowling is a massive issue for the side, one that doesn't appear to have a clear-cut solution.