For ages, winning the toss and batting first has been the preferred option in India in 50-over contests. On wickets that aid spin, teams have preferred to set targets rather than defend them. Not so, however, with this Indian team. The toss, may we say, has been taken out of the equation. Bat or bowl first doesn’t matter. With a bowling unit capable of skittling the opposition out, Captain Rohit Sharma isn’t really fussed about what happens with the coin.
Against Sri Lanka, for example, on a good batting wicket, India posted a very good total after losing the toss. But more importantly, Rohit unleashed his three quicks in the evening and, dew or not, Sri Lanka did not stand a chance. On a wicket that offered bounce and carry, India had gone in with three quicks and two spinners. Interestingly, of the overs bowled in the Sri Lankan innings, the Indian fast bowlers bowled the majority. This is a changed Indian unit with aggression writ large all over.
Yes, it was Sri Lanka they were playing but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Indian fast bowlers are bowling with venom and pace. Three days earlier, it was England and the result was the same. The team management is keen on playing on true wickets which offer bounce and movement. It doesn’t matter whether they bat or bowl first. All that matters is they have the firepower to pick up wickets and close out matches and have done so consistently in the World Cup.
Can this fast bowling unit be compared with the Australian unit of the 1990s or the West Indian quartet of the 1980s? Are they the best Indian bowling unit of all time? With Jasprit Bumrah back, is it fair to call this Indian bowling unit the best in the world? And with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja as the two spinners, does the Indian bowling have the best balance in the World Cup?
Interestingly, it will be difficult to dismiss any of the above as exaggeration. That’s half the story told. That this team merits comparison with the best of all time is a testimony to how good they are and how much better they have become over time. Mohammed Shami, for example, has never looked fitter. The Indians have never bowled faster and never used the short ball better. The way Shami cleaned up the tail was a treat to watch and reminded me of Waqar Younis or Shoaib Akhtar at their best. The way Bumrah is running in from ball one and getting the ball to move both ways is a testimony to his impact as India’s spearhead. And Mohammed Siraj just loves Sri Lanka. First, it was the Asia Cup and then it was the Wankhede. The result has been the same, with Siraj stepping up from word go. Yes, Sri Lanka had lost against Afghanistan but that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that the Indians have literally banished England, New Zealand and now the Lankan Lions from their presence. You don’t choose your opponents, and whoever India have played, they have ended up dominating.
At the moment, Rohit’s India sit pretty on top of the rankings and on current form are a serious contender for the title. While it is known that the Indian batting will be tested in Kolkata against the Proteas, it is also certain that the famed South African middle order won’t have it easy against India. On a greenish wicket, Shami, Bumrah, and Siraj are equally good if not better than Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen. They are as lethal as any in the business and that should make the job of the batsmen that much easier.
What explains this change in mindset? And can the Indians sustain this intensity for the next two weeks to make it to Ahmedabad and play the World Cup final?
The chances are that they can for this unit is fitter than any Indian team I have seen. The few dropped catches notwithstanding, this is a highly skilled and fit team with most players peaking at the same time. Indian teams of the past have always had one runaway spearhead with the others playing the support act. In 1983, Kapil Dev was always the leader of the pack with Madan Lal, Roger Binny and Balwinder Sindhu playing the support cast. It was the same under Javagal Srinath or Zaheer Khan. Now, it is different.
If the batsmen think they have played off Bumrah and Siraj, there is Shami to follow. And if Bumrah plays, there is always the threat of him coming and picking up wickets in a heap. For the semi-final, if conditions offer bounce and pace, Rohit has the luxury of getting Hardik Pandya into the mix in place of Suryakumar Yadav. It is this luxury of options that makes this team what it is – a ruthless unit keen to win every game they play.
Finally, I have to say I am tired of hearing people say: ‘Oh, it’s Sri Lanka!’ When Roger Federer played Wimbledon, did we say ‘Oh, he is playing a qualifier in the first round, so why watch?’ Or did we celebrate him whoever he played against? When Sir Donald Bradman’s Australians beat the Indians 4-0 in 1947-48, did we say that they played against a poor Indian team or did we say Bradman’s Invincibles were the best ever? It is time to acknowledge that Rohit’s team are a cut above most others playing this World Cup, and have the potential and the intensity to sustain this special run for a while. For how long, only time will tell.