Spin issue, dropped catches: Is India's 'best yet to come' in T20 World Cup?

Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar believes the India team have not fully lived up to expectations in the group stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, but said the team’s best performance is still to come. He also pointed to one area that needs improvement before the Super Eight stage.

India remained unbeaten in the group stage with wins over the United States, Namibia, Pakistan and the Netherlands However, the side showed difficulty against spin, batted cautiously in the middle overs and dropped chances in the field.




Speaking on JioStar, Bangar said the team had made a steady start and had not dominated opponents, which meant they appeared slightly below their usual level.

"However, the good thing is that their best is yet to come. Another positive aspect is that all the players have had a chance to feature in the playing XI, which augurs well in case there are any injury concerns later in the tournament. All the players are match-ready. If there is one department where they would want to improve, it would be catching, because we saw a few chances being dropped against Pakistan and the Netherlands," he added, as cited by news agency ANI.

Bangar said that with limited runs from Abhishek Sharma, the world’s top-ranked T20I batter who is yet to score in three innings, Ishan Kishan has become crucial for India. Kishan has scored 176 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 202.29, including two fifties and a 40-ball 77 on a slow track against Pakistan in Colombo. He also highlighted Suryakumar Yadav and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as key players.

"From here on, three players who are going to be extremely critical to India's journey in this T20 World Cup are the men in form. That's where I feel Ishan Kishan, given the way he has been batting and the lack of runs from Abhishek Sharma, becomes crucial. The onus is now on Ishan Kishan to provide those explosive starts. So, he is player number one. Player number two is Suryakumar Yadav. He has scored runs in most games on a consistent basis, while understanding the situation of the match. The third player is Jasprit Bumrah, because everybody is talking about the spin strength of this Indian team, but I believe Jasprit Bumrah will hold the key when the match is on the line, as far as bowling is concerned," he concluded.

India have struggled against spin through the tournament. They lost three wickets for 42 runs in eight overs of spin against the USA, and five wickets for 61 runs against spin in eight overs against Namibia. Their run rates in those matches were 5.25 and 7.6. Namibia off-spinner Gerald Erasmus returned 4/20 in that game.

Against Pakistan, 18 overs of spin were bowled, and India managed 144 for six against spin at a run rate of eight per over. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha dismissed Abhishek Sharma, while Saim Ayub and Usman Tariq kept things tight. India hit only two boundaries in four overs against Tariq.

India’s best return against spin came against the Netherlands, scoring 70 runs in eight overs and losing two wickets at a run rate of 8.75.

India will begin their Super Eight campaign against the South Africa in Ahmedabad on February 22. They will then face the unbeaten Zimbabwe in Chennai on February 26, before meeting the West Indies in Kolkata on March 1.

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