India will square off against New Zealand in their second and final warm-up game at the Gabba on Wednesday, October 19. In the last few years, the Kiwis have been the team obstructing India’s success at ICC events, whether it’s the 2019 World Cup, World Test championship final, or the previous edition of the T20 World Cup.
India haven’t fared well against them in ICC tournaments and may have to face them in the semi-finals or finals of the world cup. Let’s take a look at some of the possible combinations India could explore in tomorrow’s warm-up match:
#1 New roles assigned to the faster bowlers
Mohammed Shami’s brilliant 20th over against Australia has provided the Men in Blue with plenty of bowling options. However, India will face the dilemma of whom to bowl in the last two overs as Bhuvneshwar Kumar had been leaking runs in his previous few encounters with the old ball.
Hence, India should test a strategy where they aim to finish Bhuvneshwar’s overs before the 17th over, giving two overs to Arshdeep Singh and an over to Shami. Arshdeep can be seen bowling the 19th over, whereas Shami might bowl the 20th.
Given his performance in previous India will hope for him to replicate this performance through the course of the tournament.
#2 Rohit Sharma regaining form with the bat
After the completion of the last T20 World Cup in the UAE, Rohit Sharma has become more aggressive in his batting approach at the top, scoring runs at a healthy strike rate and creating a foundation for the team.
However, he is striking at over 140 but has only crossed the 50 mark twice this year. A player of his calibre can easily cross this barrier on many more occasions. Everyone has witnessed the wrath that he can cause if he stays for more than half the innings.
Before the mega clash against Pakistan, the team will hope he can stay out on the crease for most innings, given how rapidly he can accelerate and score after being set on the crease.
#3 Ensure Mohammed Shami regains match fitness
Thank you everyone for your love and support. The hard work is paying off. Just feels great to be back on the field, playing for #TeamIndia. Onwards and upwards.#mdshami11 pic.twitter.com/xmLNOKDSZ7
— Mohammad Shami (@MdShami11) October 17, 2022
Mohammed Shami, who was announced as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, needs to be in full rhythm ahead of the T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan. Hence, it is crucial for him to bowl his full quota of overs against the Kiwis.
Incidentally, Shami returned to India’s T20I fold since the previous edition of the world cup. However, there was no lack of rhythm as he bowled an exceptional last over against Australia, taking three wickets by conceding a mere four runs.
To consistently do this in the tournament, he will need to bowl his full quota of overs tomorrow so that the team can start formulating their bowling plans around him.
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