India’s first real hurdle of the T20 World Cup campaign arrived under the bright white ring of lights at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and it exposed fault lines that had been papered over against considerably weaker opponents. After their “wake-up call” against the USA in Mumbai (in the words of the Indian skipper), a 76-run loss against South Africa cannot be brushed off as a bad evening. But there are ways in which the Indian team can recalibrate and leave what is past in the past.
The playing combination
India went unchanged from the Netherlands fixture in Ahmedabad; perhaps they trusted the combination and the familiarity of the conditions. But tournament cricket is about counterpunches, not comfort. The absence of Axar Patel haunted Team India. Washington Sundar offers control, but Axar brings a sharper spin threat and has a history of rescuing India with the bat under pressure. Washington’s entry at No. 5 during the powerplay was another move that received widespread criticism. Recalibration can begin with revisiting the entry points of certain batters based on the situation.
Left-hand batter cluster at the top
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma form a pleasing trio, but three left-hand batters in succession offered South Africa a clear tactical script. Aiden Markram’s off-spin into the left-handers and Marco Jansen’s angle across them were well-thought-out moves that the Proteas management admitted to preparing. All three batters fell in the powerplay. In a tournament like the World Cup, predictability is a luxury few can afford.
The batting tempo
India’s management has defended middle-overs anchoring as adaptation to tricky surfaces, allowing the lower order to score 60–70 runs in the last five overs. That logic has merit, but anchoring without intermittent aggression turns into stagnation. Between overs 6.6 and 11.4, and again in phases until the 18th, boundaries evaporated. The required run rate ballooned while the scoring rate dropped. This time, the lower order failed to produce a rescue act. Recalibration here is philosophical as much as technical. Intent does not always have to mean recklessness, but it should mean putting the pressure back on the bowler.
The Tilak Varma question
As the management says, Tilak Varma is tasked with holding the innings together, yet his batting against spin has been modest. Sanju Samson, despite four lean games before the tournament, showed in his 22-run cameo against Namibia in Delhi that he can detonate from ball one. India are now faced with the question of whether they want insulation or ignition at No. 3.
World Cups are rarely won by avoiding defeats or retreating into a shell. The loss against South Africa has given India a chance to re-tune the machine before the stakes rise further. India take on Zimbabwe next at Chepauk.
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