T20 World Cup 2022: 3 areas of concern India must address ahead of the semi-final vs England
Team India's quest for a second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title is on track, with the Men in Blue having made the semifinals of the ongoing edition in Australia. With four wins from five games, Rohit Sharma's men topped Group 2 of the Super 12 stage and will now face England at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (November 10).
It has been a rollercoaster tournament thus far, with teams expecting the unexpected and the lesser fancied sides upsetting many an apple cart. The competition is well into its business end now and no team can afford a slip-up.
What India have done well thus far is ensure that the whole outdoes the sum of their parts. They have managed to paper over a few cracks and their ability to win the crucial moments has seen them progress as far as they have in this T20 World Cup.
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Having said that, this may not be a luxury in the knockouts and they have to address a few issues on hand. Let's look into three of those as they gear up for the semi-final clash against England.
#1 Powerplay batting
Even when India recorded their best powerplay score of the tournament (46/1) against Zimbabwe on Sunday, it included the first over being a maiden. While it hasn't been an easy tournament by any means for openers, the duo of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have been tied down significantly.
For starters, deliveries that can be put away for singles have to be cashed in upon. That, plus the tentativeness against left-arm swing bowlers, casts an eye on the approach the openers choose in the knockouts of the T20 World Cup.
While Rohit has been starved of sufficient runs, Rahul has done well to accelerate in the last couple of games. It isn't something that will work out every time though, and a more confident start could set the tone for the rest of the innings.
#2 Over-reliance on Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav with the bat
While Virat Kohli hasn't been averse to carrying the Indian batting lineup on his shoulders in T20 World Cups of yore, he has had company this time with Suryakumar Yadav enjoying a dream run. That said, the day neither gets going is when things could unravel for India.
In the game against South Africa, Suryakumar waged a lone battle even as the rest of his colleagues crumbled around him. Yet, even his masterful knock wasn't enough to take the Men in Blue to a winning score, and that is something they can ill-afford in the semifinals.
Clearly, the form of skipper Rohit, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Dinesh Karthik (should he play) must turn a fresh corner. India will hope that they've saved their best for the most important game so far in the T20 World Cup.
#3 The form of the spinners
India's bowling unit has looked in fine fettle this T20 World Cup. However, with the seamers doing the bulk of the work, there hasn't been much to do for the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel.
That isn't to say that there isn't much to worry about though, with neither firing at his absolute best. Axar has sent down just 9.2 overs thus far and Ashwin hasn't looked in total control either, notwithstanding the three wickets he bagged against Zimbabwe.
Shorter square boundaries at the Adelaide Oval automatically pose a fresh challenge to the spin twins. Both Ashwin and Axar hitting their best form, apart from how they are used by skipper Rohit, is imperative to India's chances of upstaging England and making the T20 World Cup final.
Do you think India can address these issues and turn in a fine performance in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup? Let us know in the comments section below!