Blame the mathematicians for not allowing the use of the 'official' word, but in all likelihood, India are through to the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Only an extraordinarily unlikely catastrophe – or miracle, depending on your perspective – stands between them and their fixture on 27 June in Guyana.
Considering the contextual setting, when India step up for their last Super 8 match on 24 June, they could easily afford to have their tails up, not marching as aggressively as they have done over the last few weeks.
Albeit, we could see quite the contrary – India could be more motivated to win than ever before. Because they are professional cricketers, yes, but also owing to the team they will compete against in St Lucia – Australia. India’s bogey team, Australia have often thwarted India’s quest for international glory – most recently in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on 19 November 2023.
Following their defeat to Afghanistan, Australia are now staring at elimination, a fate that could be sealed if they lose this match, especially with Afghanistan expected to have the upper hand over Bangladesh. India, understandably, would not want to miss the opportunity to cut Australia's journey short.
Before they embark on that mission, we take a look at five key player battles you should keep an eye on:
1. Rohit Sharma vs Mitchell Starc
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Rohit Sharma’s enduring struggles against left-arm pacers – extensively documented since eternity – were highlighted once again in this competition. The Indian captain succumbed to Shaheen Shah Afridi against Pakistan, and to Saurabh Netravalkar against the United States of America.
Against Australia, he will confront arguably the most lethal left-arm pacer currently active – Mitchell Starc. It has not been a tournament to remember for Starc, who has only three wickets to show for. Moreover, he was also dropped from the playing XI for the previous match against Afghanistan, with left-arm orthodox spinner Ashton Agar preferred on a spin-friendly track in St Vincent.
But on St Lucia, which offers a sporting wicket, Starc’s presence in the Australian team is nearly inevitable. Intriguingly, the two veterans of the sport have seldom crossed paths. Starc has bowled to Sharma in only two T20I matches, and had dismissed him in one of those games. Barring that, he has got the better of Sharma thrice in ODI cricket.
2. Virat Kohli vs Adam Zampa
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Virat Kohli has faced a variety of challenges in this competition. Whilst he could not get going at all in the first three matches, the last couple of games – against Afghanistan and Bangladesh – saw him throwing his wicket away after finding his footing, in a rather un-Kohliesque fashion.
Should he have answers to the new-ball questions from the Australian pacers – which he is likely to, given his record against the trio – Kohli will meet the leading wicket-taker of the Aussies, in Adam Zampa.
This particular duel, unlike the previous one we had mentioned, has had instalments aplenty. Kohli has faced Zampa in 12 T20Is, and has scored 74 runs off 90 deliveries across those matches. Having lost his wicket to the leg-spinner thrice, his strike rate against Zampa – merely 121.6 – highlights his cautious approach.
3. Rishabh Pant vs Pat Cummins
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In this match, Australia will contend with one particular Indian batter they did not have to deal with at the 2023 ODI World Cup final – the fabled hero of the Gabbatoir breach, Rishabh Pant. To add to their concerns, Pant is currently India’s leading run-scorer in this competition, having scored 152 runs at a strike rate of 135.71.
To counter the in-form, free-spirited swashbuckler, Australia will have their money on the ever-so-reliable ODI and Test captain, Pat Cummins. Whilst Pant has never faced Cummins in T20I cricket, he has lost his wicket to the pacer twice in as many ODI matches they have crossed paths in.
Moreover, a closer inspection of the Indian Premier League numbers will highlight how Pant has, for some reason, always batted in an uncharacteristic manner against Cummins. Having faced 27 deliveries across five matches, he has scored 30 runs, at a strike rate of only 111.1. He also lost his wicket to Cummins in one of those five matches.
4. Arshdeep Singh vs Travis Head
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163 runs off 174 deliveries. 137 runs off 120 deliveries.
These are not two random centuries, but centuries which obliterated – in the most unceremonious of fashions – a billion hopes. Centuries which denied India victory at the ICC World Test Championship, and the ODI World Cup. Both were scored by the same batter – Travis Head.
Needless to say, India will be unrestrictedly desperate to see the back of Head early in this fixture, and for arguably the most daunting task, India’s best bet will be the most inexperienced member of their bowling unit – Arshdeep Singh.
But why Arshdeep?
Not because he is currently India’s leading wicket-taker in this tournament, with 12 scalps, but owing to what transpired at the 2024 IPL. Whilst Arshdeep has faced Head twice in T20I cricket a year ago, and was punished on both occasions, he got the wicket of Head in both IPL matches where he faced the Australian batter this season. Whilst he required three deliveries to trigger Head’s downfall in the first meeting between Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the second meeting saw Arshdeep getting Head bowled on a golden duck.
5. Jasprit Bumrah vs Glenn Maxwell
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Glenn Maxwell has a T20I strike rate of 151.8 against India. His last T20I score against India was a 48-ball 104. He scored a half-century in the previous fixture against Afghanistan.
All of these three statements indicate towards the same deduction – like Head, India would want to dismiss Maxwell early, too. To do so, Rohit Sharma could turn to the leader of the bowling canton – Jasprit Bumrah.
Having bowled to Maxwell in 6 T20I matches, Bumrah has conceded merely 31 runs in 28 deliveries. Not only that, but he has also dismissed Maxwell twice in this format, in addition to two dismissals in ODI cricket and five in IPL.
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