The start of the home World Cup campaign has been a mixed bag for India.
Australia defeated first up, with the bowling and batting units getting the job done in contrasting fashion, is a plus. There is no better boost for self-belief than winning against a tough team from an uncomfortable situation. A shot of it early on in a long and taxing tournament is welcome.
The wait over Shubman Gill’s return getting longer dilutes that feeling somewhat. It was a given that he would miss the Afghanistan game. News emerging that he will most likely miss the Pakistan game on October 14 as well is the beginning of a worry.
There is little gap between matches up to the fifth one. India play Bangladesh and New Zealand on October 19 and 22. Recovering from the after-effects of dengue is not an instantaneous process. What does the team management do?
As of now, they seem to have taken the best possible decision. A 24-year-old cricketer who takes care of his body in order to meet professional demands is expected to recover quicker. So, wait. If he returns against Bangladesh or New Zealand, the captain, coach and others will probably be happy.
Since it is not possible to predict someone’s recovery time in the post-dengue period, looking further than that at this juncture is futile. In case Gill does not recover for the October 22 fixture, the next match is a week later. There is time to think about eventualities as and when they become clear.
The other part of this story is what the team is missing. In pristine touch and heading into the World Cup with a deluge of runs under his belt, this was supposed to Gill’s breakthrough tournament. It is a team game alright, but there are a handful of individuals who can dictate which way it goes.
On these pitches, Gill is one of the most creative destroyers of bowling. Built for big innings in this format — he is not as successful in Tests and T20Is yet — he was carrying loads of confidence. In him, India saw someone who would lead the charge.
This is to an extent reminiscent of the 2019 World Cup. Shikhar Dhawan broke a finger while compiling a century against Australia in the second match. The team waited a few days before bringing in Rishabh Pant in his place. KL Rahul was plucked from the No. 4 slot to open with Rohit Sharma.
Rahul started this tournament at No. 5, with a Player of the Match effort against Australia. Ishan Kishan is the only other opening option for India now. He did not make a mark in the first game and is reportedly not having the best of times in the nets. At the same time, one must remember that he has earned his place in the squad.
Before and after a double-century in Bangladesh last December, he was getting runs. Even in the first match of the Asia Cup in early September, he rescued the team by making 82 against Pakistan while batting at No 5. On the flipside, Ishan’s last six innings have produced a highest of 33.
Personnel elsewhere in the XI more or less sorted, this is the concern that India carry into the immediate future. But then, teams that aim big do not fret over missing one or two players. These situations show how prepared they are for different circumstances. Gill or no Gill, it is India’s turn to show they can.