Individual brilliance rather than collective effort has been the defining feature. If it was Virat Kohli and Arshdeep Singh against Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav against South Africa, and again Kohli and a moment of brilliance from KL Rahul on the field to run out Litton Das that did the job against Bangladesh.
While Rohit Sharma’s men have crossed the line in three out of four occasions, the performances haven’t been convincing except for the heroics of Kohli and Arshdeep. That’s what India need to focus on at the MCG for this is the only game to iron things out before the all-important semi-final against England.
India need their captain to fire. Except the Netherlands game, it has been a quiet World Cup for Rohit and more than the bowlers getting him out, it has been Rohit who has been a victim to some indiscreet shot making. The start will be hugely important at the business end of the tournament and the pressure will be on Rohit and Rahul to deliver in tandem. While Rahul got a much-needed half-century against Bangladesh, the start can surely get better. Bangladesh’s Litton was impressive in the powerplay and that’s what India would want to see from their openers.
If the openers haven’t fired in tandem, batting in the end overs has also been inconsistent. Dinesh Karthik has had the rough end of the draw on occasions, given out against Bangladesh when the bail had been dislodged with the hand for example, and Hardik Pandya hasn’t really fired except against Pakistan. Against big ticket sides India will need their finishers to step up.
In bowling, India need to sort out the spin department. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel haven’t really settled in and have been expensive. There is a real case for Yuzvendra Chahal to get a look in. Chahal, most importantly, is a wicket-taking option and the large boundaries at the MCG will suit him. If he is in the scheme of things going ahead, it will be essential to give him some game time against Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe, with one fantastic result in the tournament so far, aren’t pushovers. They beat Pakistan and came close against Bangladesh, too. In Sikandar Raza, they have a player who has been playing like a man possessed.
Ryan Burl, a star in the making for Zimbabwe, said they aren’t overawed by India. For Zimbabwe there is nothing to lose and, in such situations, teams often tend to punch above their weight.
India, on the other hand, will have to guard against complacency and not look too far ahead. It can be a tricky game and all that should matter to India is to win it and move on.
The best part about the Rohit SharmaRahul Dravid era has been the support extended to players who have struggled. But in doing so, have they missed a trick by leaving out Rishabh Pant? Ricky Ponting, in an interview at the MCG a day earlier, expressed surprise that Pant has been left out despite his record in Australian conditions.
Optimum utilisation of resources is of paramount importance and the match against Zimbabwe is India’s last chance to get the combination right. If Pant plays, who does he replace is the question. The toss-up could be between an extra batsman and an additional spin bowling option.
The match against Zimbabwe is one to hone skills, be clinical and plug the gaps. India have lost far too many semi-finals and ahead of the last-four stage they need to be at their best. They need answers to a few questions and that’s what they will be aiming to get at the MCG in front of what promises to be a sea of blue.
