WTC Final: Deep Dasgupta outlines a 3-point batting plan for the Indian batsmen
Deep Dasgupta recently previewed the upcoming World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand as he chalked out a batting plan for Virat Kohli and Co. The cricketer-turned-commentator put together a three-point strategy to help the Indian batsmen cope with the testing English conditions.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Deep Dasgupta advised the Indian batsmen to keep their clarity of thought intact to succeed in Southampton.
“The first thing Indian batsmen need to keep in mind is their clarity of thought. People advise you to play your natural game, and I completely agree with that. Your natural game provides a basic structure to your game. Rohit Sharma's most productive shot is his cut or pull off the back foot. That doesn’t mean you need to hit every ball if attacking is your natural game,” Dasgupta explained.
Deep Dasgupta used Rohit Sharma's example to elaborate his plan. The commentator explained how the Indian batsmen need to decide their gameplan before the start of play, and stick to it in order to find success in England.
“Rohit Sharma has consciously tried to stay away from driving the ball. He depends on the pull and cut shots. If you get a short-pitched ball, you have to go for it because you have to score runs at the end of the day. But if you aren’t getting the ball in your slot, you have to be very clear in your thought process and game plan that you will not play a shot. If a drive is not part of your game plan, unless it is a half volley or full toss, stick with it. That clarity of thought is very important,” Deep Dasgupta continued.
Indian batsmen need to understand that they will get beat in English conditions: Deep Dasgupta
Continuing to his second piece of advice for Virat Kohli and Co., Deep Dasgupta advised the batsmen to be impenetrable in defence. Praising the Blackcaps bowlers for being part of one of the most disciplined bowling units, Dasgupta spoke about how a strong defensive game will allow the Indian batsmen to stay at the crease for long.
“The second thing is that the defence has to be very strong. New Zealand’s bowlers are very disciplined, so you will get very few loose deliveries. You will have to play them with patience, and your defensive game has to be solid. The bat has to be within the body because if it goes outside your body, there is a chance of edging the ball,” Deep Dasgupta mentioned.
Coming to his final piece of batting advice, Deep Dasgupta urged the Indian batsmen to be respectful of the conditions. Admitting that they will get beaten now and then, the 44-year-old suggested they should dig their heels in and not be too bothered when things aren’t going their way.
“Another thing it does is that it changes the angle of your contact point. The closer you go to the ball, you will face a problem with the angles as they will start decreasing. If you play shots close to your body, your angle increases and you are likely to get beaten, which is fine. Indian batsmen need to understand that they will get beat in English conditions. If they get beaten twice or thrice in a row, they don’t have to think about it too much,” Deep Dasgupta concluded.
With Team India only having a three-day match simulation and a few net sessions under their belt, it will be interesting to see whether they are able to hit the ground running when the WTC final kicks off on June 18.