A fortnight after the nail-biting triumph against Pakistan, the Men in Blue are back at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Despite the loss to South Africa, India has progressed, and now the formalities of a semifinal berth need to be signed, especially through its Sunday fixture against Zimbabwe.
The weather, grim and dark until a few days ago, has largely cleared, but there is a nip in the air and fielders in the deep may be inclined to keep their hands in their pockets. India holds a 5-2 edge over its rival in T20Is, with the last clash dating back to 2016. Yet, this has been an ICC Twenty20 World Cup that has seen underdogs reveal fangs. Upsets have been registered, and Afghanistan riding on Rashid Khan’s chutzpah nearly derailed Australia.
As India gears up for the Super 12 Group 2 game, Rohit Sharma will be conscious about Zimbabwe’s coup against Pakistan earlier in this championship. In the cut and thrust of international cricket, victories never come easy. The lesser fancied unit is often goaded by a desire to show it belongs to the big-stage while also trying to infuse hope into the countrymen back home. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe seek a balm through sport while their backyards are tinged with angst.
Pant over Karthik?
Rohit’s men know the perils of complacency against opponents perceived to be weak. The joust involving Zimbabwe offers an opportunity to extend the winning fervour besides fine-tuning skill sets, as after this clash, only the knock-outs remain. And on Saturday as the sun lit up the MCG with bright rays bouncing off the grass, Rishabh Pant had an extended training session donning his wicket-keeping gloves. He recalibrated his dives on either side, took catches, and then stood close to the lone stump and mimicked reflexes essential while keeping to spinners. Whether this means a change is being effected with Dinesh Karthik stepping aside would be known only at the toss.
Opening blues
There is an issue atop the order that the individual fifties by skipper Rohit and his deputy K.L. Rahul cannot mask. In four outings so far, the duo shared partnerships worth seven, 11, 23 and 11. It forces Virat Kohli to walk in early, saddled with the task of sealing the initial crack, building a partnership and then exploding with his willow.
Suryakumar Yadav has chipped in from the middle order, while Hardik Pandya, after his fine show against Pakistan, has tapered off. It doesn’t help that Karthik hasn’t hit the straps with his bat. The bowling has been relatively fine except during those phases against South Africa or when Bangladesh’s Litton Das flew high. And the fielding was excellent against Bangladesh.
On the opposite side, Craig Ervine’s men are coached by the doughty Dave Houghton and readers of a certain vintage would remember his batting exploits in the 1980s. In Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe has a star, and speedster Blessing Muzarabani has been among the wickets. Hopefully, Melbourne’s weather would ally with clear skies on Sunday night.
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