TEAM INDIA READY FOR T20 WORLD CUP CHALLENGE?

India Women’s Cricket Team: T20 World Cup 2024 Preview and Strategy

The Indian women’s cricket team is gearing up for the T20 World Cup 2024, set to kick off in the UAE. With the tournament being shifted from Bangladesh due to political unrest, the revised fixtures have placed India in a challenging Group A alongside six-time champions Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

INDIA WOMEN'S SQUAD FOR T20 WORLD CUP 2024

• Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur (C)
• Vice-Captain: Smriti Mandhana (VC)
• Key Players: Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan
• Reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor
• *Note: Yastika Bhatia and Shreyanka Patil's participation is subject to fitness clearance.

With a balanced mix of experience and young talent, the Indian squad looks poised to make a strong impact.

Group Stage Schedule

• 4 October: India vs. New Zealand, Dubai
• 6 October: India vs. Pakistan, Dubai
• 9 October: India vs. Sri Lanka, Dubai
• 13 October: India vs. Australia, Sharjah

ANALYZING THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

Group A is undeniably tough, featuring strong teams like Australia and New Zealand. However, with the right strategies and mindset, India has the potential to advance to the knockout stages. Here’s a breakdown of what India needs to focus on against each opponent:

1. AGAINST NEW ZEALAND:

New Zealand's recent performances have exposed some weaknesses, particularly against quality spin bowling. England's spinners troubled the New Zealand batters significantly, resulting in low scores. The pitches in Dubai are likely to assist spinners, and India's Shreyanka Patil (if fit) could be a key player. Additionally, New Zealand has struggled to defend low totals, often losing composure under pressure. India should consider chasing if they win the toss to exploit this vulnerability.

2. AGAINST PAKISTAN:

Pakistan is considered the weakest team in Group A. India's strategy here should be to play their natural game, maintaining calm and focus. Over-strategizing might not be necessary, as a disciplined approach should suffice to secure a win.

3. AGAINST SRI LANKA:

Despite their recent win over India in the Asia Cup final, Sri Lanka has notable weaknesses. Beyond their captain, Chamari Athapaththu, the team lacks consistent performers. Targeting Athapaththu early could significantly diminish Sri Lanka’s chances. Additionally, Sri Lanka's death bowling and fielding have been areas of concern. India should aim to bat first to set a challenging target and take advantage of Sri Lanka's inconsistent chasing ability.

4. AGAINST AUSTRALIA:

Australia is a formidable opponent, known for their depth and quality across all formats. However, they have shown some vulnerability against spin bowling recently. In their T20I series against New Zealand, Australian batters struggled against spin, which could be crucial on the spinning tracks in UAE. India needs to leverage their spinners and bowl disciplined lines to contain Australia’s powerful batting lineup.

PREDICTIONS FOR THE T20 WORLD CUP 2024

Group A seems to be the more challenging group, with strong teams like Australia and New Zealand posing significant threats. While India can potentially secure a win against Pakistan, victories against New Zealand and Australia will require strategic brilliance and flawless execution.

Given the current form and strength of the teams, my prediction for the T20 World Cup 2024 is that Australia will win the Championship. The four teams I expect to qualify for the semifinals are Australia, South Africa, England, and either New Zealand or India. The final could likely be a showdown between South Africa or England against Australia.

FINAL THOUGHTS 

India's path to the semifinals is challenging, but not impossible. The coaching staff and players must focus on exploiting the opposition's weaknesses while playing to their strengths. With strategic planning and effective execution, the Women in Blue can make a significant impact in this T20 World Cup. Here’s hoping for a successful campaign!

Thank You,

Advait Kadam
Sports Management Student

PLAN FOR UPCOMING TEST MATCHES

India is set to play 10 Test matches before the Champions Trophy. Many players might get the opportunity to represent India in the longest format of the game. India is in search of a fast bowler to partner with Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj. I don't think they will look to select Shardul Thakur now. Let us now dive deep into what can be the game strategies, plans, and probable squad.

PROBABLE SQUAD FOR BANGLADESH TEST:

1. Rohit Sharma (Captain)
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3. Virat Kohli
4. Shubman Gill
5. Rishabh Pant (WK)
6. Dhruv Jurel (WK)
7. Sarfaraz Khan
8. Rajat Patidar
9. Axar Patel
10. Ravindra Jadeja
11. Ravichandran Ashwin
12. Washington Sundar
13. Mohammed Siraj
14. Mohammed Shami* (subject to fitness)
15. Akash Deep

(Note: Bumrah and Kuldeep might be rested)

The team looks balanced with a combination of experienced and young players. KL Rahul can be fitted into the squad in place of Patidar, but I don't think India is looking toward him. The same goes for Shreyas Iyer. According to recent news, some senior Indian players are going to play first-class cricket, so the selection might depend on their performance.

CHANGE OF MINDSET IN GG ERA?

I don't feel there is any need to change the mindset. I personally don't support the Bazball approach in Test cricket. But Jaiswal, Pant, Rohit, and Sarfaraz will play attacking cricket, while Virat, Gill, Jadeja, and Axar will play their natural game. This is a good strategy—no one needs to change their style of playing cricket. England made the mistake of asking everyone to play attacking; they should have let players like Joe Root play naturally. Some players need to change their technique to play against spin (especially Virat), which will result in setting a respectable first-innings score.

To conclude, there is no need to change the mindset—just the technique, which will yield results.

WHO WILL PLAY THE ROLE OF PUJARA?

Who can fill Pujara's shoes at No.3? Currently, Gill plays at No.3, but is he the right choice? You need a player at 3 who is firm with his defense. If you ask any Australian bowler, they will say Pujara is a nightmare for them. Aussies will be more than happy to see Pujara out of the Indian Test team. In the 2018-19 Border Gavaskar Trophy, he faced 1258 balls in the series, the highest for a visiting batsman who played four Tests in a series in Australia, and scored three centuries to bat Australia's bowling into submission. He played a massive role in both the BGT wins for India on Australian soil. His defensive batting, when Pant was attacking on the other side, frustrated the Aussies in the Gabba as well as the Sydney Test match. Hanuma Vihari was a similar kind of player, but currently, he is not being considered. Gill averages 23.6 batting at No.3, not a great record.

Who else can bat at 3 then? Maybe Rajat Patidar is a pretty good player of spin. Although he had a very bad England tour of India series, averaging only 10.5 in the 3 matches he played, I think he should be asked to play at No.3 ahead of Gill. Other than him, I see no other option now. For the future, Vishnu Vinod may do that work for you. Even Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyank Panchal are great options.

FAST BOWING OPTIONS OR BGT?

How many fast bowlers are ready to play? Before BGT, we have 2 Test series but both in India. For BGT, you have your 3 fast bowlers ready: Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj. But who will be the 4th pacer? Can Hardik come into the Test side? He may come if he is bowling fit. Hardik will bring more stability because of his all-round ability. He is definitely an option to be considered as the 4th bowling option.

I want BCCI to consider bowlers from the domestic circuit who have been playing for a long time. I would say Rajneesh Gurbani is the best fit for Australian conditions. Gurbani is a throwback to a young Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Lithe and wiry, Gurbani relies heavily on swing: his stock delivery is the one that leaves the right-hander. He isn't express—his average speed hovers around 130-135 kph—but manages skiddy pace, which makes him dangerous in front of the stumps. He is also capable of consistently finding subtle movement off the pitch.

Next is Sandeep Warrier. He is an excellent pace bowler with a lot of experience. He has played 75 First Class matches and has 241 wickets, averaging 25.42. He has the pace needed in Australian conditions.

If the news is to be trusted, India is considering Arshdeep for BGT. Not an ideal choice, I feel. We should consider performance based on First Class cricket. Other bowlers who are already on BCCI's list are Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Shardul Thakur, and Prasidh Krishna.

MORNE MORKEL APPOINTED AS BOWLING COCH OF INDIA

Just now Morne Morkel has been announced as bowling coach of India. However, Morne Morkel has a very bad record as a coach. He was coaching Pakistan and Lucknow in the IPL and had not done anything exciting. Bowlers win you the tournament. KKR in the recently concluded IPL had a strong batting line-up, but in bowling, there was no one except Starc (on paper). It was Bharat Arun who made bowlers like Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora lethal. So, choosing the right bowling coach is important. Let us see how Morne Morkel carries the legacy of Paras Mhambrey.

DULEEP TROPHY SQUADS OUT NOW:

The four squads for the first round of the Duleep Trophy are as below:

• Team A: Shubman Gill (C), Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kumar Kushagra, Shaswat Rawat.

• Team B: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Musheer Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Yash Dayal, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Awasthi, N Jagadeesan (WK).

• Team C: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Abishek Porel (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, B Indrajith, Hrithik Shokeen, Manav Suthar, Umran Malik, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Anshul Khamboj, Himanshu Chauhan, Mayank Markande, Aryan Juyal (WK), Sandeep Warrier.

• Team D: Shreyas Iyer (C), Atharva Taide, Yash Dubey, Devdutt Padikkal, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ricky Bhui, Saransh Jain, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Aditya Thakare, Harshit Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Sengupta, KS Bharat (WK), Saurabh Kumar.

Do share your thoughts in the comment section and follow me for more updates.

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THANK YOU,
ADVAIT KADAM
(Sports Management student)

NOT A GOOD START FOR THE GG ERA

INDIA LOST THE SERIES 2-0 AGAINST SRI LANKA

Shameful series loss! We lost against the 7th-ranked ODI team, and they didn't even have their full-strength squad. We lost an ODI series against Sri Lanka after 27 years. What went wrong? Is it because of the new coaching staff? Or too many changes in the batting order? Many questions arise, so let's dive in and try to cover as much as possible in this blog.

IS COACHING STAFF A PROBLEM?

I don't think we should start blaming the coach so early; it's just the first ODI series under GG. The new era is facing criticism, and perhaps GG was overhyped. It's too early to judge his coaching, but to be honest, when you have a balanced ODI batting line-up that almost won the World Cup, why change the batting order so drastically? Just to fit a lefty at No. 4? And that lefty doesn't even score enough, leading to a collapse. We couldn't chase a target of 249 with 10 batters in the team? Was the pitch really that bad to bat on?

I mentioned in my last blog (CLICK HERE TO READ) that Indian batters are not playing technically well, but this might not have been the case in the 3rd ODI if we had a dedicated batting coach. According to ESPNcricinfo, our coaching staff consists of Gautam Gambhir (head coach), Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach), Ryan ten Doeschate (assistant coach), and T Dilip (fielding coach). The lack of a dedicated batting and bowling coach may have affected the performance. Shivam Dube tried his best to play using his feet, but he didn't look convincing.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH VIRAT KOHLI AGAINST SPINNERS?

Over the years, Virat had a pretty good batting record against spinners until 2020.
Virat Kohli against Spinners in ODIs (Avg)
2009: 24.75
2010: 70.33
2011: 41.38
2012: 161.50
2013: 78.60
2014: 93.20
2015: 46.40
2016: 62.33
2017: 167.67
2018: 85.80
2019: 159.67
2020: 62.00
2021: 41.00
2022: 25.00
2023: 89.17
2024: 13.33
In 2020, he had an average of 62 but hit only 1 six against spinners. He regained his form against spinners in 2023, but in 2024, it's the same old story. Pitches matter too, but the technique against spinners has been the worst ever by an Indian batter. I hope he works to improve it.

DO WE REQUIRE A LEFTY BATTER AT NO. 4?

There's a saying in Hindi, "जो टूटा नहीं उससे क्यों तोडना?" (Why break something that isn't broken?). We had a great batting line-up: Shreyas was performing well at No. 4, and Rahul was best at No. 5. Why change it? This creates confusion among players; they don't have a consistent batting position. Before the Champions Trophy, we only have 3 ODIs left. Why experiment so much when you already have your 11 players ready? This experiment might be successful in the future, but I personally feel it won't help. To build a team, you need to give players a sense of stability.
Nayar explained, “They had an off-spinner and a leg-spinner, so the thought process was right. The idea is about having the left-right combination so that we can capitalize on the conditions.”

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SRI LANKAN AND INDIAN BATTERS?

Sri Lankan batters played much better than Indian batters throughout the series. They had more quality shots against the spinners, while we were playing one-dimensional shots. Sri Lankan batters regularly played sweep shots, which even cost them some wickets, but they succeeded in scoring boundaries. In contrast, Indian batters tried to play with the turn, which cost them wickets when the ball followed the line instead of turning.
Riyan did try something unorthodox like the paddle sweep but eventually gave his wicket foolishly. If you don't have shots like the sweep in your arsenal, play like Washi did. He played every attacking shot on the front foot and was successful because his footwork was amazing. Players with poor footwork got exposed in the series.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A lot to learn from this series—never be overconfident; anything can happen in sports. Gill was average throughout the series, but I don't remember if I mentioned his inswinger problem in my blog. He always gets in trouble when the ball is coming into him. He should work on this to dominate overseas as the BGT is also not that far.
Other than that, Rohit was awesome, Riyan looked good with both bat and ball, Dube doesn't deserve a place, Siraj and Arshdeep need to improve a lot, and Washi should be considered a permanent squad member now. Maheesh Theekshana said, "India play on good wickets and small boundaries. We knew if there's a little bit of turn, we could take advantage."
There are very high chances that India will play their Champions Trophy matches on these pitches, so the technical problems should be solved ASAP, and a bowling coach should be found too. Overall, a series to forget for Indians. Now, India will play a test match against Bangladesh in September.

THANK YOU

ADVAIT KADAM

(Sports Management Student)

INDIA LOST TO SRI LANKA BY 32 RUNS

WAS IT A INDIA VS JEFFREY VANDERSAY MATCH?

Yes, it was completely a 1 against 11 kind of match. Jeffrey Vandersay took his first 5-wicket haul in One Day Internationals. He was playing in the absence of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Sri Lanka. He bowled 10 overs, gave only 33 runs, and took 6 key Indian batters with him. His wickets included batters like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul. All of them are pure batters with significant international experience. This spell reminded me of Akila Dananjaya's performance in 2017 when he took 6/54 in his 10 overs, although Sri Lanka lost that match. Both matches were similar, being low-scoring on spinning wickets. The pitch in Colombo turns more under the lights. Bowling slow generates turn from the pitch, and spinners who use their arm while bowling get more help compared to those who don't. Hence, Kuldeep Yadav wasn't getting much help from the pitch. Vandersay understood the conditions very well and bowled a tight length, sticking to the game plan. I hope the Sri Lankan board will now give him consistent chances to play.

WHAT CHANGES AFTER POWERPLAY FOR INDIA?

India, in both matches, was so good until the fall of the wicket of captain Rohit Sharma. India was 97/0 from 13.2 overs when Rohit got out, and then India was bundled out for just 208. Does the pitch get so hard to bat on later? The answer is yes, it does. In the powerplay, Sharma plays exactly as the pitch demands. He starts very aggressively, scoring 64 runs off just 44 balls with 4 sixes and 5 fours, at a strike rate of 145.45 in an ODI match. He is playing his role very well but throws his wicket away foolishly. I agree he has done the damage already, but on pitches like this, a batter struggles early on and gifts his wicket to the opposition. Rohit, in my opinion, should try to slow down a bit after the powerplay. He should try to score only singles and doubles after the powerplay and wait until the other batter gets settled. If Rohit stays there till 20 overs or more, the collapse won't happen.

DO WE PLAY WITH THE RIGHT TECHNIQUE ON TURNING PITCHES?

Rohit plays well on surfaces like this; he has plenty of shots in his repertoire. He plays sweep, reverse sweep, paddle shot, drives, slog sweep, and more. His variety of shots helps him score big. Gill's right shoulder follows his body, forcing him to play shots on the leg side. If the ball is pitched on the middle stump, he falls into that trap. Virat has the worst ever technique to play spin. He traps himself on the back foot and gets LBW. Whenever Virat tries to score runs on the back foot, he scores, but when he tries to defend, he gets out. He should try to commit himself to the front foot. Dube doesn't seem to know how cricket is played. He can hit sixes but can't defend. Imagine playing a leg spinner without any footwork—that's silly. I think even Siraj bats more sensibly nowadays compared to Dube. And the two best players against spin, Rahul and Iyer, got out cheaply. I don't see any technical fault in their batting, but I think too many changes in the batting order may be affecting their form. Axar and Washington Sundar play well against spinners. Axar missed his well-deserved half-century by just 6 runs. Washington's defensive technique is excellent, but he can't attack. I mean, he can, but he is not a power hitter type of batter.

HOW WELL DID INDIAN BOWLERS BOWL?

It was an average performance with the ball, not too bad. As I predicted in my last blog, Washington Sundar was the standout performer, taking 3 crucial wickets. (READ MY LAST BLOG). He bowled very well, hitting the right length. Even though Kuldeep got 2 wickets, it wasn't his best performance. I'm not complaining about it; he didn't have much help from the pitch compared to Washington and Axar. I expect Axar to bowl more wicket-taking deliveries. I predict Axar to take at least 3 wickets in the 3rd ODI. It's not fair to judge the fast bowlers' performance on this pitch, but Arshdeep should try to be economical rather than going for wickets. Not expecting a lot to change, just need to be more focused on line and length.

PREDICTIONS FOR 3RD ODI

• Axar to take at least 3 wickets.
• Washington to shine again (maybe can bat well too if needed).
• Virat to shine if batting first.
• Expecting Riyan to come in place of Dube (I mentioned earlier that we want a spinner who bowls with their arm).
• If chasing, KL Rahul will be the key player.
• India to win the match.

PS: Tried something new, do let me know the feedback about the videos. Do share the blog with your friends.

THANK YOU

ADVAIT KADAM

(Sports Management Student)

1st ODI VS SRI LANKA ENDED UP IN A TIE

 India's Chase of 231 Ends in a Tie: Analysis of the Performance

India, while chasing a target of 231, started well but eventually tied the game in the end. It was a tricky pitch to bat on, but many mistakes could have been avoided. Rohit Sharma played exceptionally well, making good use of the powerplay given the conditions.

What Went Wrong?

Why did we bottle up the chase? How did we choke when the required run rate was around 4 RPO? Was it the approach that cost us the match and resulted in a tie?

India's opening partnership was 75 runs, with Rohit scoring the majority. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer controlled the innings well until the 25th over, when Kohli was trapped by Hasaranga. As commentators often say, "One brings two," and that’s exactly what happened as Iyer gave his wicket in the same over. India was in a bit of trouble at that moment, but KL Rahul and Axar Patel were taking the match closer by scoring singles and doubles.

The match was well within our grasp, but after the 35th over, umpires called for a drinks break, and the only message from the dressing room was to attack. Was it right to attack when the required rate was just around 4 - 4.5 RPO? I asked some friends, and opinions were divided. Some said the decision was wrong; others felt only Axar should have attacked while Rahul played his game. I personally feel that attacking was unnecessary at that moment; singles and doubles would have assured us the win.

Rahul got out while playing a slog sweep after already scoring a boundary in that over. Was that shot really necessary? That wicket prevented us from winning. Axar got out to a good ball, so no fault there, but imagine if Rahul had still been at the crease when Axar got out. Dube played well but got out LBW when 1 run was needed off 15 balls. Then came Arshdeep Singh, who tried to hit a six but got out LBW. Perhaps it was the attacking approach that cost us the match. We should play according to the situation, not with a single approach. Attack when necessary and play singles and doubles when required. Don’t try to play like England; play according to the situation, which was the approach under Shastri and Rahul Dravid.

Spinners' Performance

Our spinners were not up to the mark. On a track like this, we expect our spinners to bowl more attacking lengths. Sri Lankan spinners took 9 wickets with an economy rate of 4.45, whereas Indian spinners took only 4 wickets with an economy rate of 3.86 (excluding 1 over from Gill). They were successful in keeping the opposition’s score under control, but when it came to taking wickets, we fell short. However, I believe they will play to their quality in the 2nd ODI.

Post-Match Comments

Sri Lanka's skipper, Charith Asalanka, said they did well but could have restricted India to fewer runs. He noted that it gets easier to bat under lights and appreciated the energy shown by his team in the second innings, especially Dunith Wellalage and Pathum Nissanka's performances.

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, mentioned that they batted well in patches but lacked consistent momentum in the chase. He acknowledged the game would start once the spinners came on and noted that the pitch remained the same for both innings. He concluded by saying that the game shifted between both teams at different times and they should have secured that one run.

Predictions for the 2nd ODI

For the 2nd ODI, I think Rohit will try to bat first and set a huge target. The match will be played at the same stadium as the 1st ODI. Scott Styris mentioned ahead of the 1st ODI toss that the pitch, used for the LPL Qualifier, might turn and could be a bit tacky, making batting easier under lights.

The second-last ODI at this venue was between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in January this year. In that match, Zimbabwe was bundled out for 96, and Sri Lanka chased the target in 27 overs, losing two wickets.

Expect a long partnership from Rohit and Kohli. The team batting first might score at least 260+. Riyan Parag might play instead of Dube, and Washington Sundar could be a standout player. Harshit Rana might replace Arshdeep Singh. I predict India will win the match.

PS: While writing this blog, the toss for the 2nd ODI occurred, and Sri Lanka is batting first with no changes in the Indian team.

Thank you,
Advait Kadam
(Sports Management Student)