Hallelujah. Virat Kohli is back in form!
This was arguably the one thought resonating across a billion minds on Sunday night as India sauntered its way to 181-7. In the last 12 months, Kohli has crossed the 50-mark only seven times in 29 innings (across formats), and yet he hardly looked in control of his knocks on most occasions. So much so, his aggregate looks worse if you add two more half-centuries across 16 innings in IPL 2022.
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Respite is the other word that comes to mind. Kohli not only looked in control on Sunday night, he also looked to dominate the Pakistan bowling. When was the last time that word – dominate – was used for a Kohli innings? For months, and years now, he has mostly looked to survive, to break out of this rut that clung on to him longer than most others. For a brief time, he even looked lost. Not on Sunday!
That flick over midwicket for six was Kohli’s best shot of the night, signalling a batsman back in free-flowing touch. Mind you, it wasn’t the most crucial aspect of his knock. When Kohli came out to bat, India was placed at 54-1 in 5.1 overs – a terrific start. Thereon, it was about carrying that momentum.
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For once, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul batted as if they were indeed opening in a T20 game. Attacking shots clearing the infield, hitting across the line and an aerial display – from the very beginning, that Dubai pitch looked like a batting belter. Let one go a step further – 180 looked just about par on that wicket, especially with conditions improving at this ground under lights. Sharma-Rahul gave that start, and then Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with a cameo. Worst bit? They were all back in the hut at 91-3 in 9.4 overs.
The top-order had done its job scoring at 9.68/over until then. Kohli was batting at 17* off 12 balls when SKY was dismissed. The stage had been set – did the big flourish come? The next 91 runs came off 10.2 overs – 8.82/over. On a day when the top order did its job, the middle order didn’t come through with Kohli only holding the fort.
At the halfway stage, Kohli was 18* off 13 balls. After 15 overs, he was on 40* off 28 balls. In the end, he finished with 60 off 44 balls. The progression is there, but at no time does his strike rate exceed the 150-mark. It isn’t about blaming him or asking questions about his batting. He couldn’t have done any better because cheap dismissals of Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya cost India any acceleration. Deepak Hooda’s cameo (16 off 14 balls) then was too little, too late.
Despite that aggressive start, and Kohli’s fluent knock, questions remain regarding the fluency of this batting line-up. It is an either-or situation – either the top-order fires, losing fizz by the end. Or, the middle order does, saving the day after a top-order collapse. That collective effort has been missing. And with seven weeks to the T20 World Cup, that is a worrying sign.
Hooda’s selection didn’t have the desired impact, and India missed Dinesh Karthik on Sunday. Last week, he was picked ahead of Pant. What has changed? Ravindra Jadeja’s knee injury (and the risk of missing the World Cup) has put in a major spanner in the works. In his absence, you need to compensate for his all-round skills, thus changing the bowling combination and indeed batting, ousting Karthik the finisher.
In a tight game on Sunday, this forced change cost India 20 fewer runs from an unbalanced batting line-up and triggered an insipid performance from a dishevelled bowling attack. That last bit is important – even if India’s batting balance is askew, in the sport you cannot have everything going your way. Skipper Sharma expected his bowlers to be able to defend that score despite helpful batting conditions, and he wasn’t off the mark. India’s T20I bowling attack should be able to defend 9/over in any situation.
The current attack is missing key elements. Jadeja, Harshal Patel and Jasprit Bumrah are all out injured. If Bumrah isn’t fit for the World Cup, India might as well not go to Australia. Even so, at present, the think tank needs to plug the gaps assuming he will be fit. Arshdeep Singh needs to improve his fielding, for he surely will be there. But whom else do you turn to? Avesh Khan is proving to be more expensive with each outing. Does that put Mohammed Shami back in contention?
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Shami’s extra pace could prove useful in Australia, and it is a key pointer. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya bowl at the same pace. If Deepak Chahar is added herein, that’s a very one-dimensional bowling attack. The other problem is with Pandya’s bowling when it doesn’t come off. In Jadeja’s absence on Sunday, he became the fifth bowler and went for 11/over.
Hooda as the sixth bowler wasn’t even deployed, understandably, given the easy batting pitch. Yet, this is simply not the Rohit Sharma-style. He likes to have six proper bowling resources. Pandya and Jadeja work well in that equation, a buffer, especially if one of them (or anyone else) is taken for runs.
As Pandya went for runs on Sunday, and Hooda didn’t bowl, the pressure shifted to the two leg spinners. While Ravi Bishnoi held his own, Yuzvendra Chahal’s slower variations were easy fodder on a good batting track. Is dual leg spin again the way forward? Perhaps, Axar Patel (Jadeja’s direct replacement) doesn’t provide the batting strength and his efficacy as a T20 bowler is still under consideration.
Sunday then was a keen reminder of how Jadeja’s absence has disturbed India’s both batting and bowling balance. The positive part? There is still time to rectify the situation before October 23.
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