India continued their winning march in the shortest format by beating South Africa 3–1. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, the team’s morale would be quite high. However, India do have a few issues to address. With India’s World Cup campaign in mind, let’s look at the major talking points from the recently concluded series.
What to Make of the Form of the Captain and Vice-Captain?
Just do a simple Google search and you will find thousands of editorials on the poor form of Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, who happen to be the vice-captain and captain of the T20I side respectively. The same is true across social media platforms. The statistics indicate that this assessment is indeed accurate.
Suryakumar has been averaging under 15 in his last 25 T20Is. Gill has been averaging less than 25 since his return to the T20I setup. Even in the India–South Africa T20I rubber, the duo were unable to silence their critics. Logic suggests that both will be picked for the World Cup. Even if one were to be dropped, the axe could fall on Gill, as it doesn’t seem prudent to leave out your captain just before a World Cup.
The Subplot of Sanju Samson Being in the Mix
Ideally, India could have continued with Sanju Samson at the top of the order instead of bringing Gill back into the mix. The wicketkeeper-batter had scored three T20I centuries within a span of a few months – against Bangladesh and South Africa. Yes, he was troubled by pace and bounce in the T20Is versus England, but Samson has shown on numerous occasions that he can be impactful in the Powerplay.
In the final T20I versus South Africa in Ahmedabad, his brisk 37 off 22 balls was instrumental in giving India a flying start, although it must be noted that the conditions were perfect for batting.
The Bumrah–Varun Magic
India have a formidable bowling line-up, and even within that attack, they possess two treasured gems in Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy. At 122 for 2 in the Ahmedabad T20I, South Africa seemed on course for a memorable win. However, Bumrah delivered a masterclass, employing dipping slower deliveries and short balls to stun the opposition.
Meanwhile, Varun used his unconventional googly and imparted enough revs on the ball to befuddle the batters. Bumrah and Varun are India’s bankers – players who can make an impact even on the flattest of wickets.
What About the Other Missing Pieces of the Jigsaw?
Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana – The pair may not be vital cogs in the line-up, but with India looking to strengthen the lower order, both have been in the mix in recent times. There are still doubts over Washington’s ability to provide the finishing touches down the order, although he did give a glimpse of his defensive bowling skills in Ahmedabad by conceding just over nine runs per over in batting-friendly conditions.
On the other hand, Harshit seems to have tightened up his tendency to bowl on both sides of the wicket. It is also a known fact that he can use the long handle effectively.
