T20 World Cup 2022: "We have been playing 19-over matches" - Aakash Chopra expresses concerns over India's jittery starts with bat ahead of semi-final bout against England
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra recently pointed out how the Indian openers have started the innings with a maiden on several occasions at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022, making it a 19-over affair for them.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra urged the Men in Blue to adopt a more attacking approach right from the start in the semi-final. He suggested that starting cautiously against a side like England could prove costly for Rohit Sharma and Co.
The former opener also feels that Sharma's contribution with the bat is going to be key for India in this crucial tie. He mentioned that if the skipper fails yet again, it could expose the team's middle order.
Chopra explained:
"Yes, Rohit Sharma has not scored runs so far. It is good if he fires in the semi-final. But what if he fails again? We have been playing the first over as a maiden. This means that we have been playing 19-over matches.
"You cannot afford to start slowly this time. If it is again going to be a 19-over vs 20-over game, England are going to make you pay."
Notably, while the opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma started off with maiden overs during their group-stage encounters against Zimbabwe and South Africa, they managed just one run from the first over against Bangladesh.
The highest score for the Indian team in the powerplay overs is 46 runs, which came against Bangladesh. The side will look to come up with an improved performance in the first six overs, given England's power-packed batting lineup.
"You have to be ultra-aggressive if you want to beat England" - Aakash Chopra on Indian openers
Chopra also went on to say that this was the right time for India to try out their counter-attacking approach. He emphasized how the side focussed a lot on the same on the road to the showpiece event.
The 45-year-old opined that the team must look to up the ante right from the start against a side like England:
"The template that we have been talking about for a while now, I think it's time to now show it because you have to be ultra-aggressive if you want to beat England. India must change their conservative approach.
"Rohit will have to score runs. Otherwise, the batting will come across as weak, as we don't know if Rishabh Pant will be there or if it will be Dinesh Karthik."
Chopra highlighted how important it is to address Rohit's struggles with the bat. He claimed that when he departs early, it becomes difficult to get off to a good start, as Virat Kohli also takes his own time before shifting gears.
He remarked:
"If we have been talking about Temba Bavuma or Aaron Finch, it is only fair that we also address Rohit Sharma's lack of form. We must point out if he hasn't done well. He scored just one half-century, and that too was scratchy.
"If he fails, it will be tough to get off to a flying start as Virat Kohli also scores around 30 runs from his first 25 balls."
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Sharma has mustered 89 runs in five matches so far in the tournament. While he did get some runs under his belt against the Netherlands with a 53-run knock, he has a dismal average of 17.80 to his name.