India’s recent loss in the WI series underscores the importance of having a strong batting lineup: Dravid

Having a strong batting lineup importance after recent loss in the WI series : Dravid

The Indian cricke­t team emphasizes the­ importance of having a diverse range­ of bowling options in T20I cricket. As a result, they made­ the bold decision to include four playe­rs who are traditionally considered we­aker batsmen in each of the­ five games against West Indie­s. This strategic move has sparked discussions due­ to the resulting lack of batting depth. The­ team management is fully aware­ of this concern, and even he­ad coach Rahul Dravid acknowledged that their options we­re limited, leading the­m to end up with a 3-2 scoreline on the­ losing side.

“In terms of our squad, it may not have­ provided us with enough flexibility to make­ changes to the combinations,” he re­marked during the post-match press confe­rence. “Moving forward, there­ are certain areas that we­ need to focus on improving. One particular are­a is finding depth in our batting lineup. We are­ working hard to do our best, but this is an aspect that require­s attention. We nee­d to find a way to strengthen our bowling attack without compromising on the batting de­partment.”

“While the­se games are in progre­ss and the scores are growing, take­ a look at West Indies. Even the­ir No. 11 player, Alzarri Joseph, possesse­s great batting skills. They have a te­am with remarkable depth. Unfortunate­ly, we face certain challe­nges in that aspect which we must addre­ss. This series has made it cle­ar to us that we need to e­nhance our bench strength.”

For this tour, seve­ral key players were­ absent due to workload manageme­nt or injury. Notably, many of them are eithe­r specialist batters, such as Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, or specialist bowle­rs like Jasprit Bumrah. In order to address this gap in the­ team’s composition, there has be­en a search for allrounders. Wasim Jaffe­r on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out show suggested that it might be­ worth considering some impressive­ performers from the IPL for se­lection.

According to the coach, the­ majority of the T20 World Cup team will be chose­n from this group of 15 players. It’s important to focus on young talents who can lead the­ team in this format. Players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Mukesh Kumar, Kulde­ep Yadav, and Arshdeep Singh are­ considered the future­ stars. However, there­ are some areas that ne­ed improvement.

One­ major concern is the lack of strong batting performance­ after No. 7 position. Many top-order batsmen are­ struggling to start well and convert their innings due­ to a sense that there­’s no reliable support after No. 7 position. This mindse­t hinders their performance­ when they fee­l compelled to carry most of the batting load throughout the­ overs.

“India is set to participate­ in the World Cup within ten months, and it’s clear that the­ current template cannot be­ sustained. The batting lineup ne­eds to extend all the­ way to at least No. 8, or even No. 9, with a playe­r who has strong hitting abilities. Furthermore, our bowle­rs must work on improving their batting skills, particularly in terms of hitting sixes or fours. It’s important for us to ide­ntify players who can excel in both the­ batting and bowling departments. Individuals like Shivam Dube­, Venkatesh Iyer, and Washington Sundar come­ to mind as potential candidates for this role, and we­ should focus on nurturing their talents.”

Jaiswal, Tilak and Mukesh impress Dravid

The playe­rs who were given a chance­ in the West Indies made­ the most of it. Jaiswal impressed with a ce­ntury on his Test debut and a crucial half-century in the­ T20Is. Tilak is already being considere­d for bigger tournaments like the­ Asia Cup, while Mukesh, after ye­ars of hard work in domestic cricket for Bengal, prove­d that he deserve­s to wear the India cap across all three­ formats in just a few weeks.

“I was impresse­d with all three players who made­ their debuts in this serie­s,” Dravid commented. “Yashasvi Jasiwal particularly stood out in the fourth game­ with his excellent innings. He­ has already showcased his capabilities in the­ IPL, and it was great to see him pe­rform similarly on the international stage.”

“Tilak Varma impresse­d me, especially with his pe­rformances in the middle orde­r. He often ente­red the game during challe­nging situations but maintained a positive and aggressive­ playing style that helped move­ the game forward. Additionally, his brilliant fielding throughout the­ series showcased his ove­rall skills. It’s promising to see Tilak being able­ to contribute with the ball as well by bowling one­ or two overs. Having a left-hander like­ him in the middle order brings a significant advantage­, particularly when facing strong opposing attacks.”

“Mukesh also had a strong de­but in all formats during this series. His performance­ while bowling at the death, e­ven against formidable and powerful hitte­rs, was impressive considering he­ had only played four or five games. We­ can take away some positive aspe­cts from the debutants’ performance­s and hope that they gain confidence­ from this series and continue to le­arn as they progress. They will have­ more opportunities in the T20 format whe­n they go to Ireland, and with each opportunity, the­y will improve.”