In their quest for a team combination, Yashasvi Jaiswal will try to play an important role, while Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj should be at their best in India only T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh before the opener on June 5th.
Although all 15 players have been regular starters for their respective IPL teams, the squad is replete with talent. However, it is important that they find the right mix of players to end India international trophy drought that has lasted eleven years.
The warm-up game is expected to see all 14 except Virat Kohli who is likely to arrive just before the match given a chance to play as the game does not carry any official weight. This would help gauge whether every player on the team remained in form after most of the core members enjoyed a two-week break.
Captain Rohit Sharma and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid have two big decisions to make. Even if Jaiswal strikes good form, fitting him into the side is going to be tricky as it may mean leaving out a power-hitter such as Shivam Dube from playing XI.
It can be assumed that Jaiswal might end up sitting outside due to which Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could open batting. This decision could also create an opportunity for Dube to feature later in the tournament.
“Shivam Dube is a six-hitting machine. He can be our x-factor in T20 World Cup. But if Shivam has to be there in XI then you cannot have Yashasvi. So that call Rohit has got to take and I would like both pace-bowling all-rounders in those eleven because if Shivam plays he can actually take on opposition wrist spinners at latter half,” said Raina who was one of country’s top T20 batters of his time when asked about possible combinations by PTI in Delhi on Friday.
India second obstacle will be finding Jasprit Bumrah’s opening pace-bowling partner. Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj have not been consistent performers in the IPL and their form has not lived up to expectations.
Hardik Pandya’s four overs will be key according to RP Singh, who played a pivotal role in India winning the tournament first time. Additionally, he advised that the second frontline pacer should be Arshdeep on the newly-laid drop-in pitch.
Singh was also firm on length discussion for US pitches during early morning matches stating that variations make Arshdeep better bet than Siraj. “RP replied to a PTI query at a promotional event in Delhi”
“There should be some slowness in wicket as per my understanding. So, ideal length will be somewhere around just short of good length. There won’t be much swing for bowlers but bowlers with variations – not only yorkers but slower ones, leg and off cutters…,” RP replied during a promotional event at Delhi when asked about ideal length to bowl on US pitches for early morning games by PTI.
“These deliveries would also be use more by him [Arshdeep], so definitely his rate of achievement is going to get higher automatically and those are what I know of wickets in USA,” he elaborated.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan’s spin duo will pose an examination for India middle order batsmen against Bangladesh on a pitch where there is less pace. The other thing they had answers for are Mustafizur Rahamann’s different kinds of deliveries – cutters.
