Joydeep Mukherjee
To say that India got out of jail could not be more true of the host’s opening game in this edition of the Cricket World Cup, against mighty Australia, five-time winners of the trophy. It was an excellent toss to lose, as the dryness in the wicket would have prompted any captain to bat first. Later, the dew came into play and the deck firmed up, along with an already-wet ball getting soapy, to make life difficult for the spinners.
India’s spinners, as a unit, were just superb. Ravindra Jadeja will always be the toughest to play in such conditions merely because of the pace he bowls at. Not much time in the air and such accuracy is a lethal combination to have in your armoury. How much will Australia miss having Nathan Lyon in the squad, with the luxury of picking him when required? Ashton Agar, their other frontline spinner, has been ruled out. Lyon, coming back from the calf injury that hampered his Ashes campaign, says he is more than capable of bowling 10 overs. And unlike India, the Aussie tail is not a long one, with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc more than handy with the bat. In case of an injury, par for the course in such a long tournament, Lyon could well come into the mix, especially if Adam Zampa’s form stays as fickle as the English weather.
India have moved on to the capital to play Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This is the beginning of the cricket season in India, which is why the pitches are different to the ones at the end of the season they are more worn out and gasping for rest and repair work. In the IPL, the wicket in Delhi is on the slower side, but if the first World Cup game was any indicator of things to come, it looked an absolute belter. As many as 754 runs were scored in about 95 overs, including a 54-ball 106 by South Africa’s Aiden Markram. Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis returned the compliment with a 42-ball 76.
So, will it be two spinners for India or three, after the success they enjoyed in the last game? Much as I would love to go in with three spinners, for me, it has to be two. Delhi has a smallish ground and if there isn’t enough in the deck for the spinners, they could go for a bit. The opposition is not the strongest, which might allow India to play three spinners. Most of the Afghan batters would not have played a lot of R Ashwin or Kuldeep Yadav. So three spinners are possible, keeping in mind the opponents and also the fact that the tail looks a tad stronger with Ashwin at No. 8.
The fact that Hardik looks good with his bowling spikes on gives India that added luxury. A problem that this Indian team has is that none of the batters roll their arm over. On a rainy day, that could bail you out, and India had that luxury in the past with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina having the ability to hold their own with the ball. I have seen Shubman Gill bowl in the nets and it really comes out nicely from the hand. It’s a skill he should try to bolster.
Three spinners in every game, across the nine group-stage venues, come with their fair share of risk. This World Cup will end in November, and a lot of the crunch games are in the north of India at a time when the weather will suit fast bowling. That is another important factor along with the increased dew at certain grounds. The worst part is that there is no apparatus that can predict the presence of dew. It’s the local groundsmen who have the best inside information on this. Trust them with your eyes closed, as their knowledge and experience in the field is unmatched. The soil is as much a part of their lives as the bat and gloves are for batters.
It might also be a good time and place to play Shardul Thakur at No. 8 if he is part of the plans of the captain and coach going forward. To suddenly ask him to play against top opposition would be unfair. Getting him match-ready should be one of the goals for the management and support staff.
Intriguing times lie around the corner. There is everything to play for. Work in silence, and let success make its own noise.