India’s preparations for a second T20 World Cup campaign in as many years begin with the T20I series against South Africa that starts Thursday, 9 June, with the side back in action after a gap of nearly three months.
With several senior players including skipper Rohit Sharma, former captain Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah rested for the series, the spotlight will once again fall on KL Rahul’s captaincy as well as on some of the younger recruits in the squad, especially the uncapped ones who shone bright in the recently-concluded IPL and will now hope to carry over those performances to the international arena.
Among the key areas of focus for the Men in Blue in the upcoming series will be their new-look fast-bowling department, which is also missing Mohammed Shami besides Bumrah.
The pace unit might be a little short on experience, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar the only experienced campaigner in the unit, the likes of Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh have a combined international experience of 10 T20Is. Patel alone accounts for eight of those appearances and Umran and Arshdeep are yet to make their debuts in the blue jersey.
Short on experience, the new additions in the bowling department are certainly high on skill quotient and have what it takes to do the job, especially in the death overs.
The clamour to fast-track Punjab Kings’ Arshdeep into the national side was perhaps just as loud as it was for tearaway J&K quick Malik as the left-arm seamer produced one of his most impressive displays ever in the IPL.
Arshdeep wasn’t exactly challenging Yuzvendra Chahal and Wanindu Hasaranga for the Purple Cap as he finished with only 10 wickets to his name across the season. Where Arshdeep did make an impact was in his ability to keep the batters quiet in the slog overs, his death overs economy of 5.66 the best this season.
He was impressive with his pin-point accurate yorkers as well as his ability to keep his nerves in check even when bowling to legends of the game such as MS Dhoni in tight finishes. What has made him even more effective is the extra yard of pace he’s added to his portfolio this season that is the result of the technical changes he’s made behind the scenes along with his focus on his fitness.
And when you get praised by some one of Kagiso Rabada’s stature, you know you have some serious potential in you.
“I think Arsh has been the best death bowler in this competition… I’ve always bowled at the death as well, so I know I’m going to bowl at the death but Arsh has just been magnificent and been leading the way in that discipline,” the South African speedster, Arshdeep’s teammate at PBKS, to Star Sports.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Patel has already made his mark in the Indian team, having made his international debut in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand right after India’s miserable T20 World Cup campaign and a little over a month after he finished with 32 wickets in last year’s IPL in what was a watershed moment in his career.
Patel once again showed why he is such an asset for any captain when it comes to bowling the tough overs, as was evident in his two game-changing overs against the Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator in Kolkata, which helped halt LSG’s rampant charge and helped seal a memorable victory for RCB. And it was by no means a one-off feat; like Arshdeep, he’s has consistently delivered in the business end of the innings throughout the season.
His ability to alternate between the wide yorkers and the slower balls aside, Patel’s also stood out for his ability to read the game and adapt accordingly and not shying away from a challenge, traits that don’t go unnoticed when it comes to picking a team.
Arshdeep though, is likely to compete with Royal Challengers Bangalore seamer Harshal Patel for a slot in the XI. Patel’s not too far behind when it comes to nailing the art of death bowling, though Arshdeep’s left-arm angle brings variety into the attack which the team management will not doubt take into account. Where Patel scores is in taking wickets, as he finished ninth in the wicket charts this IPL with 19 wickets to his name with an impressive average and economy of 21.57 and 7.66.
Harshal Patel finished IPL 2022 with 19 wickets to his name, the ninth-most among all bowlers. Sportzpics
Leading the young attack in the upcoming series will be veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar, who appears to have put his injury woes behind for now and is enjoying a fine run at the moment, not just as a seamer but a handy option with the bat down the order as well. And he can also fill in as a leader, having captained the Sunrisers Hyderabad on multiple occasions.
Skill-wise there isn’t much to separate him from Arshdeep and Harshal when it comes to death bowling but it is his experience and his knowledge of opposition batters where Bhuvi trumps everyone else.
With several senior players rested, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is expected to lead the attack in the upcoming series. Sportzpics
That along with his ability to swing the ball massively both ways and get the breakthroughs early in the innings during the powerplay will make him one to watch out for this series. He might not have the most deceptive of slower balls nor the most searing of yorkers, but there are few who rival his accuracy and his ability to outthink the batters.
It is safe to say that Rahul’s spoilt for choice when it comes to assembling the bowling unit. Let’s not forget a fit-again Hardik Pandya’s ability to send down a few overs in the middle as well as an able back-up spinner in Ravi Bishnoi, in addition to the potent death-bowling trio and the Kul-Cha spin pair. What remains to be seen is his ability to manage his resources over the course of the series and their execution.
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