IND vs SA 2022: 3 tactical scenarios India have struggled to handle ahead of the T20 World Cup
Only two T20Is stand between Team India and the 2022 T20 World Cup, which will commence in less than a month Down Under.
The Men in Blue have recovered decently from their failures in the Asia Cup, having first sealed the T20I series against Australia before overcoming South Africa in the opening game of the next assignment. But it isn't all rosy for India ahead of the marquee ICC event.
Here are three match scenarios India have struggled to tackle in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.
#3 How to approach the powerplay when Rohit Sharma gets out early
India's new attacking template has come with its drawbacks. Captain Rohit Sharma has had to modify his game to go all out from the outset, without giving himself time to settle and then capitalize. At the other end, KL Rahul has been forced to ditch his usual insipid powerplay game to try to make the most of the new ball.
Rohit hasn't notched up many big scores recently, but his strike rate hovers just under the 150-mark in this calendar year. His brisk starts at the top have handed his opening partner and the batters after him some leeway - a few balls, at least, to get their eye in.
However, when Rohit is dismissed early, India find themselves in a predicament. Virat Kohli isn't particularly good at hitting boundaries immediately after coming to the crease, while Rahul is someone who doesn't need a second invitation to go into his shell. They've often found themselves overly reliant on Suryakumar Yadav to inject momentum into the innings if Rohit doesn't contribute.
#2 Setting totals
Barring their thumping 101-run win over Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup, India have lost all three games they've batted first in this month. Granted, the conditions in the UAE greatly aided the chasing team, but their collapse at the death against Australia last week is still fresh in memory.
The eye test is enough to confirm that India aren't great at setting totals right now. Their openers are still finding their feet when it comes to aggression, while the lower-middle order doesn't have the requisite depth to weather a flurry of wickets with a host of counter-attacking strokes.
It would've probably been in India's best interests to bat first as often as possible against South Africa, but they won the toss in the first T20I and played things safe. The Men in Blue might need to test themselves by setting totals in the next two matches.
#1 Death-bowling plans
India have been forced to rotate their pacers over the last few months due to a combination of injuries and form concerns. But it's safe to say that none of their fast bowlers have managed to come up with convincing performances at the death.
Barring Arshdeep Singh, who has been a breath of fresh air with his yorkers and cutters, India's death bowlers have let the team down. They tried out names like Avesh Khan, who proved to be woefully expensive, before settling on experienced campaigners like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who also failed to deliver. Harshal Patel has been largely unimpressive in T20I cricket as well.
More concerningly, India's bowling plans have been in contrast to their fields. Captain Rohit Sharma has come out and stated that death bowling will sort itself out, but there's not much time to go for the T20 World Cup.