Five Things India is Lacking big time in T20s

Thinking Caps Need To Be Put OnThe T-20 series between India and South Africa just came into a conclusion with South Africa clinching a one-sided series by 2-0. The 2016 T-20 World Cup in India is just 5 months away and Indian team have a lot to ponder on in order to perform decently in the World Cup. Its been eight years since 2007 when India have got home the trophy and the Men In Blue will certainly like to lift the Cup in 2016 on their home ground. Here are five points India can certainly look upon in order to be a better T-20 side.

#1 More T-20 internationals in a calendar year

A jubilant Indian team that won the T-20 World Cup in 2007

This is one of the major problems which the BCCI needs to look upon. Compared to other major teams India has played very few T-20 internationals since its inception in 2005. India ranks 8th in the list of number of T-20’s played by a country among the top eight sides in T20’s. Ravi Shastri cited this as a reason for a poor show by the Indians in the T-20 series.

The IPL eats up 2 months of a year. The BCCI can cut down the duration of the IPL by around 3 weeks and make way for some T-20 internationals. The IPL helps the players no doubt, but an International match is an international match at the end of the day.

#2 A genuine power-hitter

A dynamic and destructive A.B. de Villiers

In simple words India is devoid of a batsman who can change the course of any T-20 match within a blink of an eye. A power-hitter may not be a consistent player, but you know that whenever he plays other teams just cannot stand up on its feet no matter how good the team is. Somewhere down the line, the importance of a belligerent strike rate can’t be ruled out.

Glenn Maxwell (159.91), Chris Gayle (142.59), David Warner (138.43), Brendon McCullum (136.21), A.B. de Villiers (139.65) are players who can tear apart an opposition both physically and mentally with their outrageous display of stroke-play. India has Yusuf Pathan (146.58) in their armory and he can be a force to reckon with if he is shortlisted for the World T-20.

#3 A genuine all-rounder

Shakib Al Hasan (left) and Jacques Kallis (right): two of the best all-rounders the world have ever seen

Stuart Binny is primarily a batsman who can bowl a bit. Akshar Patel’s and Ravichandran Ashwin’s primary job is to bowl with a little bit of batting to support. But there is no player in the side who can bat and bowl with equal venom. Jacques Kallis, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Cairns, Shane Watson are prime examples of players who can hit the opposition with both bat and ball.

India has bits and pieces players in Karn Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla but no-one can be called a genuine all-rounder. At times when one of your specialist bowlers are going for runs, the all-rounder is an option to turn towards. India need to find one soon if they have to be a world-beater in T-20’s.

#4 A spinner to support Ravichandran Ashwin

Harbhajan Singh (left) and Ravichandran Ashwin (right) will be a key to India’s chances

Ashwin has recently crossed Irfan Pathan to become the top wicket-taker for India in T-20 internationals with 29 wickets. He is no doubt a class-act and performs on a consistent basis. But like partnerships in batting, even bowling requires partnership. For a bowling team to keep up the pressure from the other end, they need quality spinners from both end.

India has Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Karn Sharma, Amit Mishra but they have been in and out of the team way too many times to restore faith in. In sub-continent conditions during the World T-20 India may need an extra spinner. The question still lies in who will be the second spinner after Ashwin. Harbhajan Singh has experience on his side and is one of the contenders to partner Ashwin in the World T-20 in the sub-continent.

#5 A different combination of players for T-20\'s

Australian team always had a separate combination of players for the T-20 format

Most of the teams have a different set of players for T-20’S. It’s because T-20’s require a completely different gameplan to that of an ODI. A batsman who plays the role of a slogger may come in at number six in an ODI, but the same player is promoted up to number three in a T-20 because acceleration needs to be done earlier. In T-20’s one gets limited time to get their eye in and needs to accelerate quickly.

No doubt Indian players have the technique to play out hostile bowling spells but at times they seem to struggle and fall on their faces when they try and accelerate. Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order struggled to get going in the T-20 series vs South Africa. The middle order looked vulnerable in the 2nd T-20 in Cuttack. Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane are the other contenders to become Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for the T-20 world cup. Bowling also lacked venom and hostility. Losing in the sub-continent against a non-sub-continent team isn’t something to cheer about for the Indian players.

There are still some time to go for the World Cup and India will be playing some T-20’s against Australia and Sri Lanka. After the disappointment and debacle of the South Africa series, hopefully India would be able to comeback with a set-team and defined roles of players.