T20 World Cup 2021: Team India should fix these gaping holes ahead of New Zealand clash

Slow
batting
in
middle
overs,
a
concern
for
India

After
losing
the
top
three
cheaply
in
the
powerplay
against
Pakistan,
Indians
weren’t
allowed
to
score
freely
in
the
middle
overs.
The
strike
rotation
was
also
a
concern
for
India
in
that
period.

Rishabh
Pant
batted
well
and
played
some
audacious
shots
against
a
quality
Pakistan
bowling
attack
but
he
didn’t
rotate
the
strike
even
though
had
captain
Kohli
at
the
other
end.
Strike
rotation
was
key
for
the
teams
in
the
middle
overs
during
the
second
half
of
IPL
2021,
which
was
also
staged
in
the
UAE.
Pant
and
the
rest
of
the
batters
will
have
to
rotate
the
strike
more
frequently.

Also,
aggressive
batting
from
one
end
in
the
middle
overs
could
do
wonders
for
the
side
for
it
would
help
them
push
the
opposition
on
the
backfoot.
Against
Blackcaps,
the
left-handed
batsman
Ishan
Kishan
will
be
an
ideal
choice
for
captain
Kohli
for
the
Jharkhand
dasher
can
provide
the
team
with
an
impetus
in
between
overs
7
to
15.

Does
Hardik
Pandya
fit
in
as
a
pure
batter?

The
all-rounder
from
Baroda
was
picked
as
a
genuine
batsman
in
the
tie
against
Pakistan
and
given
his
reputation
of
clearing
the
ball
in
the
death
overs
made
his
selection
obvious.
However,
playing
Hardik
purely
as
a
batsman
definitely
hurts
the
team
composition
as
Kohli
is
forced
to
play
with
just
five
bowlers.
The
captain
is
rendered
helpless
in
a
situation
where
one
of
his
bowlers
has
an
off
day.

Before
the
start
of
the
match
against
Pakistan,
Hardik
claimed
that
he
will
be
playing
as
a
batsman
in
the
Super
12
stage
for
India.
He
will,
however,
pick
up
the
ball
in
the
knockout
stages.

Kohli
will
be
needing
an
all-rounder
in
his
line-up
against
New
Zealand
for
that
will
give
more
teeth
to
India’s
bowling.

Shardul
Thakur
can
be
the
fast
bowling
all-rounder
and
Hardik’s
replacement
against
New
Zealand.
His
knack
of
picking
up
wickets
at
crucial
stages
will
augur
well
for
India
against
a
strong
New
Zealand
side.

Bhuvneshwar’s
form,
Shami’s
struggle
with
length

Kohli
showed
faith
in
pacer
Bhuvneshwar
Kumar
in
the
tournament
opener
but
the
right-arm
quick
looked
a
mere
shadow
of
his
former
self
against
Pakistan.
Bhuvneshwar
seemed
toothless
with
the
new
ball
as
well
as
in
the
middle
overs.
His
performance
against
Pakistan
was
pretty
ordinary
as
he
along
with
his
bowling
partner
Mohammed
Shami.

Shami,
who
was
on
a
roll
in
the
IPL
2021
for
Punjab
Kings,
was
included
in
the
T20I
squad
for
picking
up
wickets
with
the
new
ball.
Against
Pakistan,
Shami
too
looked
ineffective
as
he
hardly
attempted
bowling
hard
lengths
to
Pakistani
openers.

Both
Bhuvneshwar
and
Shami
will
have
to
make
quick
amends
in
their
line
and
lengths
to
trouble
New
Zealand
batters.
They
could
neither
attempt
perfect
yorkers
nor
trouble
Pakistani
openers
with
their
inswingers.

Choking
the
flow
of
runs
upfront
should
be
the
strategy
for
the
senior
bowlers
for
that
will
also
force
the
batters
to
play
some
aerial
shots
and
that
might
bring
in
wickets.

If
team
management
would
deem
it
fit,
then
senior
off-spinner
Ravichandran
Ashwin
could
replace
Bhuvneshwar.
Ashwin
is
capable
of
bowling
aggressively
with
the
new
ball
as
well
as
in
the
middle
stages
of
the
game
and
that
might
just
help
India
on
the
Dubai
tracks.