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India had gone into the tournament playing a brand of ultra-aggressive cricket. They were scoring 200-plus against every opponent and it had become almost second nature for the team. And yet, when it came to the T20 World Cup, the approach looked very different at the start of the tournament. A stutter against the USA meant India turned conservative. We witnessed it against Namibia, the Netherlands and yet again versus South Africa. The aggressiveness had been replaced by caution and the team had lost its USP.
Going back to hell for leather
India, under Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav, course-corrected against Zimbabwe and thereafter it was back to business. Scores of 250-plus in the semi-final and the final were proof of India’s approach, and this was one of the most important course corrections of the tournament.
Getting Axar Patel back into the team after the South Africa match
It was a wrong call to leave out Axar Patel. He is a hugely important cog in the Indian wheel and has time and again made a difference with both bat and ball. While it is no disrespect to Washington Sundar, Axar is far more skilled and relevant to a high-pressure campaign. India went in with Washington against South Africa and it backfired. Yet again, the course correction was immediate and in the very next match Axar, vice-captain and leader, was back in the mix. He picked up wickets in all the games and justified his selection to the fullest.
The Samson call
For the first few games, India’s batting looked unidimensional and predictable. Something needed to change to counter the off-spin threat that every team was employing against India. Sanju Samson was the answer, and it was refreshing to see India open with him against Zimbabwe. The impact was telling, and Sikandar Raza did not come in to bowl at the start, handing the ball instead to Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani. India were off to a flier and the move had paid off. Samson kept getting better and his scores – 97, 89 and 89 – stand testimony to how good he was throughout the competition.
Tilak Varma in the middle order
In the first few games of the competition, Tilak looked slightly out of sorts. His strike-rate was a major subject of debate and there was plenty of talk about whether he needed to be benched. With the Rinku Singh option available, the debate was a fair one. Gambhir pushed Tilak back to the middle order – a position he had during the Asia Cup – and the move met with instant success. Tilak found his mojo and the rest is now history.
Staying with Abhishek and Varun
Neither of these two players had the best World Cup, but the team management persisted with them throughout. And in the final, it was Abhishek Sharma who raced off the blocks with a 18-ball fifty, immediately putting New Zealand on the mat. Varun Chakaravarthy, much trolled, accounted for Tim Seifert, and every call made by the Indian management had come good.
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