The fact that Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India’s most seasoned fast bowler, keeps going for runs in the final overs surprises former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar quite a little. It is a major issue for the Indian team going into the T20 World Cup, according to Gavaskar.
India’s ambitions for the T20 World Cup are being disrupted by seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s lackluster performances.
Few anticipated that Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India’s lone “T20 specialist” bowler, would become one of India’s biggest concerns with just one month until their 2022 T20 World Cup opener against the same opponents. Bhuvneshwar Kumar played a crucial role in India’s thrilling 5-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup in Dubai on August 28.
Bhuvneshwar has been thoroughly outplayed in three of India’s final four games, all in the penultimate over. Everything he has attempted to bowl, including yorkers, massive yorkers, slower balls, knuckle balls, and bouncers, has fallen flat because he has become cannon fodder for batsmen waiting to pounce on his enjoyable medium speed.
Pakistan needed 26 off 2 overs in the Super 4 match of the Asia Cup, but the 32-year-old gave up 19 in the twentieth over, leaving them with 0-40 off 4 overs. Sri Lanka needed 21 off just two overs in India’s next Super 4 match of the Asia Cup when Bhuveshwar was dismissed for 14 in the nineteenth over.
This time, the experienced batsman took 0-30 in 4 overs. In both games, Arshdeep Singh was unfairly forced to defend just seven points in the final over, despite his gallant efforts.
Australia needed 55 off 4 overs in the first T20I against India at Mohali on Tuesday night when Bhuvi was called. Mathew Wade had a “social gathering” at his cost this time, shaving off 15 from his 17th over and 16 from his 19th over. Bhuvneshwar’s statistics were dismal: 4-0-52-0; this was the first time he had given up more than 50 runs in a T20I.
Naturally, batting veteran Sunil Gavaskar cited Team India’s “area of concern” in Bhuvneshwar’s poor performance. “We didn’t bowl as well. It’s a legitimate worry. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has given away 49 runs in 18 deliveries in three losses for India against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Australia, or about three runs per delivery, according to Gavaskar.
With only a few weeks till the T20 World Cup in Australia, Team India suffered a major setback when star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the competition after complaining of back problems.
Bumrah missed the opening T20 match against South Africa on Wednesday and, the following day, flew to Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy to have his back problem assessed.
According to what we’ve been told, his injury isn’t looking good right now, and it appears he won’t be going to Australia with the Indian team. A thorough report from the medical staff is forthcoming,”
It’s not yet known if Bumrah will have surgery, even though he missed the Asia Cup in the UAE last month because of a back ailment.
He was cleared to play in the home T20 series against Australia this month, and he participated in the second and third games in Nagpur and Hyderabad. His bowling statistics in Nagpur and Hyderabad were 1/23 in 2 overs and 0/50 in 4 overs, respectively.
Indian end-of-game bowling in T20s has come under fire recently. In the World Cup, which will be held from October 16 to November 13, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, and Arshdeep Singh have all given up runs, and Bumrah was anticipated to be the team’s leader. At the MCG on October 23, India will play its opening game against Pakistan.
Bumrah has eight wickets at an economy rate of 8.08 and an average of 22.75 in the six T20 internationals he has participated in Australia. In Australia, he made his T20 debut in January 2016.
The selection committee will have to choose among Mohammad Shami or Deepak Chahar, who has been added as stand-by players for the T20 World Cup if Bumrah is fully ruled out of the competition.
Shami and Chahar both perform admirably in the Powerplay, but they aren’t known for their bowling in the latter innings.
Because of Covid, Shami had to miss the series against Australia and South Africa. He hasn’t played in a T20I for India since their World Cup encounter against Afghanistan last year. However, he had taken 20 wickets in the IPL 2022, the highest for the Gujarat Titans, who won the tournament.
The notorious ICC blunder is back: India lost the T20 World Cup as a result of five mistakes
Despite the fact that they occurred a year apart, India’s two T20 World Cup losses have been by a margin of at least ten wickets. Five reasons India didn’t win the T20 World Cup are listed below after a thorough analysis.
India suffered a humiliating loss to England in the semifinals, and as a result, they were eliminated from the T20 World Cup. Despite the fact that it may seem impolite, India’s two World Cup appearances, separated by a year, were both marked by losses by 10 wickets.
It was anticipated that India would revolutionize their approach to T20 cricket after they were eliminated from last year’s World Cup in the UAE with a fresh change of guard and the so-called “new batting blueprint,” but a year later, Indian T20 cricket is still stuck in the same rut.
The vulnerabilities are still very much present if you want to defeat Pakistan in India’s first Super-12 match since Ravi Shastri retired and Virat Kohli gave over the captaincy.
India has lost an ICC competition for the seventh time in nine years, despite coming close once again. The Men in Blue, who once again faltered in a knockout match, are again under heavy scrutiny due to the infamous “C” word, which has come to be associated with South Africa over the years.
This will be a hard pill to stomach for a team that has dominated bilateral series at home and pulled off some memorable victories abroad. While part of it may be the result of tactical mistakes, most of it was caused by underlying issues that came to light when it mattered most.
What were they? After careful consideration, we have come up with a list of five reasons why India was unable to claim the T20 World Cup.
No room for India’s top wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal
Image of Yuzvendra Chahal, from Wikipedia.
No matter what, Only the team management knows why Yuzvendra Chahal is still benched in favor of R Ashwin despite being India’s top limited-overs spinner with 21 wickets from 19 games.
Many people thought India would learn from the error of leaving Chahal out of their T20 World Cup squad last year, but that was not the case. Shadab Khan of Pakistan and Adil Rashid of England frequently caused trouble for hitters with their wrist spin in this event, but Chahal did not receive a single game. Why? We might never find out.
However, it sends out an even worse message if the tactical decision was made with the idea that Ashwin can help you out with runs, as he did by scoring the winning runs against Pakistan and slamming a six and a four against Bangladesh.
India’s renowned top-order deserves a beating and to have their roles in the squad reevaluated if Ashwin the spinner is included in the playing XI as an all-rounder.
Powerplay Confusion: Where did the novel hitting strategy go?
After India lost to Pakistan and New Zealand in the World Cup last year, the epithet “timid” began to represent their batting approach. Sure enough, after Rohit Sharma took over as coach, things changed, even if it meant one of India’s finest batters looked awkward.
Even if Rohit’s fluency was far from perfect, his new role was at the very least interesting. Watching India, led by Rohit, go after the bowling during the Powerplay was refreshing and was predicted to be a game-changer for the team.
DK vs. Pant: Youth over experience is not the way to go in T20s
T20 is a young man’s game, so even with Dinesh Karthik’s recent dives, picking up a 37-year-old for the World Cup seemed a risky choice. Over the years, India has encountered innumerable predicaments that were created for Karthik, situations in which he would have imagined himself saving India.
With the exception of the Nidahas Trophy final, though, Karthik has often missed his chance. Although everyone enjoys a good comeback tale, in T20 cricket, performance is more important than fairy tales. DK’s selection over the hot-shot Rishabh Pant was perplexing on many counts.
The man, who is already a Test match legend, broke the ODI code earlier this year in England with a century.
Maintaining KL Rahul as the leader
Image of KL Rahul, from Wikipedia.
Eight months into 2022, in August at the Asia Cup, KL Rahul played his first T20I match of the year. Rahul did not participate in a single T20I match for India between November 19, 2021, and August 28, 2022, and he was immediately inserted back into the opener’s position.
Since his return, Rahul has amassed four half-centuries, all of which have been achieved at an aimless strike rate. Rahul struck two more 50s during the World Cup—against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe—but each time, Rahul fell short of expectations when the stakes were high.
Rahul resembles a pallid version of himself now. Rahul no longer explodes when he hits a huge six like he used to. Even Rahul, an IPL player for the Punjab Kings, could have benefited India. But unfortunately… It’s time for Indian cricket to move on from him, at least in T20Is, especially with Shubman Gill waiting in the wings and in excellent form.
True tempo is lacking
For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep excelled. While the young left-arm pacer, very correctly, established himself as the next big thing in Indian cricket, the seasoned India quick displayed glimmers of his glorious self.
India lacked a true pacer who could consistently hit 145 ticks on Australian pitches, though. The instant Jasprit Bumrah sustained an injury, the alarm bells began to ring, and despite Mohammed Shami’s late SOS—he hadn’t participated in a T20I since November of last year—India had a significant box left unticked.
A 15-person team for the next T20 World Cup in Australia was unveiled by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday. The team is largely the same as the one that just competed in the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE, except for two recruits in the form of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, who are replacing Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi.
Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, and Bishnoi are the new additions to the list of standby players.
The BCCI national selectors named India’s final 15 players for the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2022 on Monday, but former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin wasn’t entirely satisfied (September 12). After regaining their health, pace bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel have been picked up for the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Highlights:
Azharuddin There’s nothing wrong with Virat’s skill, but sometimes you also need a little luck.
Virat Kohli is more skilled than I am, according to Saurav Ganguly.
As an alternative to Deepak Hooda and Harshal Patel, he said he would choose Shreyas Iyer and Mohammad Shami.
Instead of Md. and Deepak Hooda, use Shreyas Iyer. I would choose Shami over Harshal Patel, he added in the following tweet.
The internet community reacted angrily to Azharuddin’s comments by criticizing the cricketer’s viewpoint.
The user said, “Then please educate Iyer how to play short ball because he can’t live in Australian bouncy wickets.”
You are simply out of date, and Shami was never a proficient T20 bowler. Please understand the T20 format if Deepak Hooda is going to bowl,” said another.
Based on the players’ recent performances in the game’s shortest format, India had to make some difficult decisions for the team, and the management assembled a formidable group. Azharuddin’s tweet, however, did not elicit a favorable response from Indian cricket fans on social media.
Shami was one of India’s most expensive bowlers in the T20 World Cup 2021 when India failed to go past the quarterfinals, and some fans criticized his high economy rate of 9.54 runs per over after 17 T20 International matches.
The irrational weather gods of Australia have worked together to place this city in an odd region. It appears that Adelaide as a whole has been moved to London.
Unusually cold, wet, and dismal conditions prevail. Even though the weather for the game day is slightly better, it won’t be surprising if rains delay plays because of the persistent rain.
The biggest concern for Rohit Sharma’s team as they enter must-win territory on the only field that can be referred to as a batting beauty in this tournament is the rain, not Bangladesh’s capacity to shock in what is turning out to be a tournament of shocks.
India anticipated dealing with a shortened game at some point. On the eve of the game, the players were only allowed to use the indoor nets since there was a never-ending cycle of mops keeping the water out of the Adelaide Oval covering.
Rahul Dravid, the coach, advised against anticipating or planning for rain. “Its number of overs is unknown to you. When you enter the game, you anticipate that there will be 20 overs, and you act accordingly.
We’ve had good luck because we were able to complete all 20 overs of each of our three games. If tomorrow’s weather makes it necessary for us to play a 10- or 12-over game, we will adapt as necessary.”
In recent years, games between Bangladesh and India have tended to lean one way or the other, including the 2016 T20 World Cup match that India won in Bengaluru by a solitary run. Indian neighbors to the east may begin to think they have a chance if the game is postponed due to rain.
India is dealing with a few significant problems after only losing once against South Africa in Perth. Their starting lineup no longer appears to be as solidly established.
The key discussion points leading up to the game are broken down here.
Will Rahul finally find his groove?
The first-stringer for India scored four goals against Pakistan, nine against the Netherlands, and nine more against South Africa. In a T20 World Cup, where there is no room for error, waiting for someone to find their form is not an option.
Everyone is aware of his potential. Someone who can blow up at the other end in the Powerplay is needed by Captain Rohit. Despite the management of the team’s frequent assurances, this game might be Rahul’s make-or-break opportunity. So it makes sense that Virat Kohli talked with him for a while.
Nasser Hussain, a former England captain, has criticized the Men in Blue’s opening batting despite the Men in Blue’s ability to go to the T20 World Cup semifinals in Australia.
Hussain claims that Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, the opening batsmen for Men in Blue, are both opening in an “outdated” manner.
Image of Rohit Sharma from Wikipedia.
Since 2013, an ICC trophy has eluded a nation that is a powerhouse in cricket. MS Dhoni was still the captain of India when it last triumphed at an ICC competition, the 2013 Champions Trophy. Currently, the team is being led by Rohit Sharma.
India finished first in Group 2 and advanced to the semifinals, where they will play England on Thursday. India had four victories in their five games to finish first. But Rohit Sharma’s performance hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.
With the exception of a half-century against the Netherlands, he struggled to score heavily against Pakistan (four), South Africa (15), Bangladesh (2), and Zimbabwe (15). KL Rahul, who opens with Rohit and has so far scored two half-centuries, is in the better form overall, although he also struggled in the first three games.
Nasser Hussain, a former captain of England, has criticized the pair for their “traditional” style of play.
Nasser Hussain’s statement
“They have underperformed in international competitions, you must admit. When working for Sky last summer, their former coach Ravi Shastri said they needed to adjust the way they sometimes played hesitant cricket with the bat for the players they had “Hussain published a piece in his Daily Mail column.
Image of KL Rahul, from Wikipedia.
“Although Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul do play somewhat traditionally in the opening few overs, India has benefited from this strategy throughout the tournament since the ball has moved around early on. India must be more dynamic if they are to win World Cups, which is why Suryakumar Yadav, also known as SKY, has been so crucial.”
Suryakumar, who has 225 runs in five games at the T20 World Cup, received lavish praise from Hussain.
“At three and four, where Virat Kohli is still the coach and now has a sizable apprentice in SKY, India will become more dynamic. In the group stage at Melbourne, Kohli’s knock against Pakistan was the best white-ball innings I can recall seeing.
“He played several fantastic strokes at the end, such as smashing Haris Rauf right back over his head for six and timed his innings in an impressive manner. Any professional cricketer who saw that on television would have stood up and exclaimed, “Wow!” Hussain penned.”
India has now advanced to the semifinal of the T20 World Cup four times. They have only ever won the competition once, in 2007.
