World Cup 2019: The positives and negatives of India's batting in the tournament so far
India survived a huge scare against a resilient Afghanistan side in their last World Cup encounter courtesy a superlative effort from Jasprit Bumrah. In fact, the bowlers ensured that Indian fans were spared the blushes after a low key performance by the batsmen.
Virat Kohli's men were certainly the favourites in the match given the way they conquered teams like Australia and Pakistan before they met the Afghans. But on a difficult Southampton pitch that assisted spinners, the famed Indian batting lineup was restricted to 224/8.
Mohammed Nabi, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman bowled 152 dot balls and accounted for 4 wickets among themselves. Even Mahendra Singh Dhoni struggled as he took 52 balls for his 28 runs.
The road is still far from over, and there is plenty of room for improvement.
KL Rahul must convert his starts into big knocks
After Rohit Sharma got out in the fifth over against Afghanistan, skipper Kohli stitched a partnership with KL Rahul worth 63 runs. But Rahul, who took over the opening role after Shikhar Dhawan's injury, needs to convert his starts into big knocks - ideally centuries.
He was batting on 30 runs from 53 balls when he tried to reverse sweep Mohammed Nabi and got caught in the process.
On his World Cup debut against South Africa, he came in to bat at the No. 4 slot. He made 26 off 42 balls before going through his shot a little early and offering an easy catch.
On both occasions, he had applied himself before he threw away his wicket. But his knock of 57 against Pakistan did full justice to his potential. He must capitalise on starts and aim bigger, otherwise it will adversely affect the batsmen to follow.
The spotlight is back on the No. 4 position and Vijay Shankar
The spotlight then turns towards Tamil Nadu cricketer Vijay Shankar, who has been called a "three-dimensional player" - at times mockingly. He was drafted into the XI after Dhawan got ruled out due to injury.
Against Afghanistan, Shankar walked into the middle in the 15th over. And in the match against Pakistan he had to go after the leather right from the word go as not many overs were left.
He did try to apply himself and made 29 off 41 deliveries before being trapped in front. He made a run-a-ball 15 against Pakistan but struck gold when Kohli threw him the ball to complete an over of Bhuvneshwar Kumar after the latter got injured.
Shankar got India the first breakthrough against Pakistan as he dismissed Imam-ul-Haq off the very first delivery that he bowled on his World Cup debut. In fact, he finished the match with 2 wickets while giving away 22 runs in 5.2 overs.
But the skipper did not use Shankar as a bowling option while defending a low score against Afghanistan. That proves that Shankar's primary role in the team is as a batsman.
Even before the team landed in England there was a lot of talk regarding the number 4 position. The way things panned out in the match against Afghanistan, the importance of that spot in the batting line-up came to the fore again. India's chances in the knockout phase too will depend a lot on how Shankar handles the pressure.
The big 2 of Kohli and Rohit are firing, but the others must complement them
The good thing for India is that both Rohit Sharma and Kohli are in great form. The skipper slammed his third consecutive half-century against Afghanistan while Sharma has slammed two centuries already.
In fact, the brilliant showing by the top order including Shikhar Dhawan, before he got injured, has been pivotal. However, the vulnerabilities of the middle order can put extra pressure on them. The experience against Afghanistan can serve as a reminder.
Dhoni might have been off color against the Afghans but it is not like he is completely out of touch. He made a quickfire 27 off 14 balls against the Aussies. The positive thing about him is that he has got tons of experience and knows how to deliver despite obstacles.
Pandya as a floater can continue to make a difference
Kedar Jadhav struggled for the most part of his knock against Afghanistan but he stuck to his guns and made 52 runs which were crucial in the context of the match. That knock must have done a world of good to his confidence. He was not tested much in the tournament before that.
The one other important player in the middle order is Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder has been impressive in the tournament with both bat and ball so far. He batted at number 4 against the Aussies and slammed 48 off 27 balls.
Pandya picked up two crucial wickets against Pakistan after scoring a brisk 26 runs, batting in the same position. Kohli has used him as a floater and his ability to use the long handle can continue to make the difference.
Everything else will be taken care of by the bowling unit
The equation, therefore, is simple; the middle order batsmen must deliver the goods when the time comes if India want to win the coveted trophy. Everything else will be taken care of by the lethal bowling unit of the team.
India will play the Windies next on 27 June.
Also read – World cup winners list
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