Part one of Champions Trophy batsmen and bowlers can be read here.
The top and middle order
This is India’s strongest area. A top and middle order manned by Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Rahul. I have always believed and written that Rahul’s best position is in the middle order. He is someone with enormous talent but has not fulfilled his potential. He is too good for his place to be questioned time and again but not without valid reasons. Whenever he is asked to open, he just is lost what to do. Whether to bat aggressively or to bat defensively? The same Rahul when he comes in with less than 50% of the overs to be bowled, is decisive. Some of his best innings have come at lower middle order.
Ofcourse, his innings in the 2023 ODI Final was quite laboured which ultimately ended with India posting a less than par score. Rahul is aware of that and he wanted to make amends which he did quite wonderfully. The tricky chase in the semi-final and in the final was made easy by Rahul. Never once did he go into a shell. Something which he does whenever he opens in any format. I am afraid though that Rahul has wasted too many opportunities. He needs to find a second wind from somewhere to make the most of his remaining career.
Axar Patel was a revelation and Rahul redeemed himself
Axar Patel was a revelation. Though he couldn’t pick up a lot of wickets, his economy of 4.5 was exemplary. More importantly, he created a real difference with his batting. With so many right handers ahead of him, his left-handed batting was a blessing. He took to batting in the middle order like a fish to the water. Credit must be given to the team management for trusting Axar in the middle order. Not just in this tournament but even during the England series, he was given a lot more responsibility with the bat. Everytime, he repaid the faith with a solid innings. I must confess that I have never rated Axar Patel but after his performance with the bat, I respect him.
Sanjay Manjrekar commented, “Very important for him because he was carrying that bogey of that final where he played a little slowly. He had that very candid interview where he said that it haunted him, hurt him. And to have these two innings – what I loved about him was the state of mind when he was chasing. He looked very comfortable,” Manjrekar said.
“The only enemy that KL Rahul has is not the bowler but his own state of mind. And he looked very relaxed and he was very happy to just carry on. He has the big shots at his beck and call. So, all that was great to see,” the 59-year-old added.
Has Shreyas Iyer turned a corner?
Shreyas Iyer is made for ODI cricket. His calm and composure in the middle allowed everyone around him to breathe easy. Until the final, he never allowed himself to get bogged down. Shreyas is a busy player, especially against spin. It looks like he has improved his game against the bouncers though the slower pitches of Dubai hardly is a benchmark. That being said, Shreyas will have to learn to finish games. With the imminent retirement of Kohli, Shreyas’s role becomes even more crucial. He will have to learn the art of finishing games. This is where the partnership of Rahul and Shreyas will be crucial in the future. As for Kohli, enough has already been written.
The allrounders
Hardik Pandya and Jadeja have been manning the lower middle order quite appreciably. The team management had enormous faith on Pandya’s ability to share the new-ball. It was actually a blessing because it allowed the team to play 4 spinners. In Pandya’s absence, one of Kuldeep, Varun or Jadeja would have had to make way for another seamer. None of the Indian seamers, in the team or looking inside from out, has any ability with the bat. This is a problem that must be addressed quickly in all formats. Atleast two seamers must bat effectively if they are not of the same class as a Bumrah or Cummins.
Coming back to Pandya, I do not know whether his batting ability is not being utilised properly. Would Pandya be a better choice in the middle than Axar? Pandya can accelerate and bat defensively within the bat of an eyelid. Pandya the Test cricketer is lost forever but Pandya the white-ball cricketer must be completely utilised. Perhaps, after Kohli retires, it will make sense to push Pandya to bat at number 4 with Shreyas Iyer moving to number 3.
As for Jadeja, though his contribution was decent enough, I think that he could do more. Coming way low down the order is not helping his batting but on wickets that do not help spinners, he is often found wanting. In this tournament though, he was in familiar grounds.
The bowlers
Varun Chakravarthy, by a far and wide margin, was the game-changer. At the age of 34, he is making heads turn. His life itself contains so many twists and turns as beautifully captured by K. Balakumar in swarajya. For someone who did not know what to do until 27, to be playing for India at the age of 34 and proving to be a match-winner, he has come a longway. I do not know whether it was tactical on the part of the management to drop him from the first couple of games but once he returned, he created enormous expectations for the supporters. The sort of expectation that was routinely expected from a certain Bumrah. Such was the impact Varun created. His changes of pace and the variations make him a dangerous bowler in any conditions. On spinning pitches, he is a nightmare.
It is unusual in India for a 34 year old late bloomer to be picked to play for the nation. For that, the Indian selectors must be commended.
Kuldeep Yadav delivered crucial blows in the final. His wickets proved to be the turning point for India. For someone with exceptional ability, it is a pity that Kuldeep still find himself not among the regulars. It could be that he is playing at the sametime as both Ashwin and Jadeja. If only he could have concentrated on his batting, which is safe is not spectacular, he could have displaced one of them. Especially, Jadeja in India. Now that Ashwin has retired and Jadeja on the brink, will Kuldeep finally find an extended run in the Test team? He could be a difficult customer for England in July.
