Hardik Pandya’s Batting Position Is Among India’s Concerns Ahead Of The T20 World Cup Warm-Up Match Against England
The form of all-rounder Hardik Pandya and the availability of batting berths will be on skipper Virat Kohli’s mind as India prepares for two T20 World Cup warm-up matches, the first of which is against England on Monday. With all of India’s players fresh off the just finished IPL, match practise isn’t an issue for Kohli and his team, but getting the right mix on the field before the high-profile opener against Pakistan on October 24 is crucial. The Indian team management would aim to give the players who are still not automatic choices in the playing XI additional overs to bat or bowl against England and Australia on Wednesday to get a better picture of their current form.
Rohit Sharma, the vice-captain, is a foregone conclusion at the top, but choosing between Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul as his opening partner would be difficult. It’s possible that both are given a fair chance at the top of the list to see who is in better shape.
Rahul will be the frontrunner since he has played in high-pressure situations before and is in fantastic form, having scored 626 runs (including 30 sixes) at 138.80 in 14 IPL games.
Such figures make him the favourite to beat Kishan, but it’s worth noting that Rahul’s statistics improved significantly during a minor match for Punjab Kings versus Chennai Super Kings, in which he struck 98 not out off 42 balls, with eight sixes and seven fours.
Otherwise, he hasn’t quite gotten the hang of power-play overs and has only been able to speed up near the close of past games. In the final two games, Kishan was superb as Rohit’s opening partner, nearly guiding Mumbai Indians into the play-offs with two blazing fifties.
If the squad prefers Rahul, Kishan may be forced to move Hardik to the No. 6 spot in the batting order, which is excellent for a finisher.
Hardik and Kishan both had poor performances in the UAE leg for MI. Hardik is another important player in this lineup, as the chances of him bowling at full tilt, or even bowling at all, are slim.
If the team takes a chance on him, anticipating his ‘MS Dhoni-esque’ helicopter shots to pay off, they’ll have to decide which slot is preferable for him. Is it above Rishabh Pant at No. 5 or below him at No. 6, where he may only get 15 balls to demonstrate his capabilities?
Similarly, Ravindra Jadeja may have two spinners on the field with him, and Varun Chakravarthy is almost certain to play if he stays fit.
Rahul Chahar’s leg-breaks and R Ashwin’s off-breaks are the options for the third spinner. Virat Kohli lauded Chahar junior for getting decent pace from the slow UAE wickets during the captain’s meeting, allowing him to keep the more experienced Yuzvendra Chahal out of the lineup.
The two pacers are likely to be Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, but if the side does not play a spinner, Shardul Thakur’s selection will provide the needed depth.
A revived Jos Buttler, with his pyrotechnics, along with the flashy Jason Roy and another veteran batter in Jonny Bairstow, will be key for England.
If the IPL is any indication, English players like Liam Livingstone and Dawid Malan struggled when the ball didn’t come on to the bat on slow tracks.
Eoin Morgan was outstanding as a captain at KKR, but he would like to score a few runs before the tournament begins.