The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team is already through to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup. While India are playing all their Group Stage matches in the USA, their Super 8 matches will be played in West Indies. The pitches in West Indies are expected to be vastly different from what New York offered to India in its first three matches. The variable bounce and unsettled pitch meant that teams failed to score big on the pitch. However, in West Indies, India are expected to get pitch which resembles those that they get at home. It also means that playing with four pacers (three specialist and one allrounder) may not always be the best option. In the New York leg of the matches, India fielded three pacers in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.
Former Indian cricket team captain Anil Kumble was asked about the prospect of playing only two seamers.
“Has he also consolidated India’s position as second seamer, should there be only two seamers?” the anchor asked.
“I think the way he (Arshdeep) bowled that last over against Pakistan, and also the way he can bowl in different areas in the T20 game, I think certainly puts him ahead of Mohammed Siraj,” Anil Kumble, former India coach, told ESPNCricinfo.
“If at all India takes that option of going with just the two seamers and Hardik Pandya. So yes, in that sense, plus he also gives you an extra variety with his left-arm pace. So overall, he must be happy.”
If that is the case then India may be tempted to play either Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal in place of a dropped pacer.
Shivam Dube, though he performed well against USA, has not been in great touch. In his place, the team management bringing in Sanju Samson is an option. But the Rohit Sharma-led team may not want to break a winning combination.
Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh
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