In Stats: Team India Carrying Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina?
In a tournament like the WT20, the Indian team cannot afford to have a struggling middle-order.
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It has been smooth sailing for India so far in Twenty20 cricket this year. Apart from the occasional hurdle they’ve stumbled upon – like against Sri Lanka at Pune on a green surface or against New Zealand at Nagpur on a dry surface, every time the Indian team has taken the park they have looked like winners.
The body language of the players has been great, certain individuals have performed exceedingly well, and that has catapulted the Indian team to the top of the ICC rankings for T20 Internationals.
Not surprisingly India are being considered favourites to win the 2016 edition of the ICC World T20 which is being played in their own backyard.
Cracks Need Plastering
However, one hopes the unprecedented success does not mask the cracks that need plastering.
Virat Kohli has been sensational with the bat, Rohit Sharma has shone on occasions, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin have starred on the bowling front and even Shikhar Dhawan, though unconvincing, has contributed to a couple of victories. Skipper MS Dhoni has applied the finishing touches on a couple of occasions too.
In a format like T20, players batting at numbers 4, 5, 6 & 7 often don’t get too many opportunities to bat. But on days they do get a chance, they are expected to inflict plenty of damage in the little time they are out in the middle.
That hasn’t been happening for India; barring MS Dhoni, none of the middle-order batsmen have displayed any kind of “damage causing” form.
Raina Hasn’t Done Justice to the Finisher Tag
Raina and Yuvraj might have played a useful hand in India’s win in the Sydney T20, but that apart they have played few impact knocks.
Raina may have contributed to the team to a certain extent, by taking a few wickets every now and then, by saving runs on the field and by converting catching opportunities, but his primary role in the team is that of a finisher, and he hasn’t done justice to that tag.
Age Has Caught Up With Yuvraj Singh
In a few of his recent innings, Yuvraj Singh has shown glimpses of his ability to strike the ball. However, despite his reputation of being a match-winner, one is forced to think if age has finally caught up with the left-hander and if he is no longer able to pull out those big hits as frequently as he did earlier.
With the captain not throwing him the ball too often, the Indian team isn’t certainly getting too much out from Yuvraj Singh.
Further, Yuvraj isn’t sprightly on the field as he once used to be, and with the Indian team having plenty of athletic young fielders, Yuvraj - 34-years old now – is now consigned to doing duty in the outfield.
High Stakes, Fierce Competition
For a player who has contributed so much to India’s success in the years gone by, it is cruel to compare his current performance and contributions with the lofty levels he himself set during his prime. But that is how sport is - standards keep changing with the times.
In a tournament like the World T20 2016, where the stakes are very high and the competition is fierce, the Indian team cannot afford to have any loose ends - certainly not a struggling middle-order.
For it could come down to any one particular player on a given day. Remember the Final of the ICC World T20 2014? It is about time the Indian middle order train their guns and come out all blazing when they have the next opportunity.
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