India came into the Champions Trophy 2017 with a team that looked great on paper but was extremely low on match practice.
Rohit Sharma hadn’t played in an ODI game for India for about eight months. Yuvraj Singh was not in India’s one day scheme of things until England ODI series earlier this year where he played three games.
Shikhar Dhawan played in the England series earlier this year but was dropped for the third game after failing in the first two.
Dinesh Karthik who is India’s other middle order option hasn’t played an ODI game for India since 2014.
Kedar Jadhav who is a newbie in the middle order doesn’t have too much experience playing overseas. The only match practice any of these players had before the Champions Trophy was in the IPL.
Completely different format and conditions to what they would face in England.
The Indian team were banking on the return to form of Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh in particular. Yuvraj Singh gives India the much needed impetus in the later stages of the innings and Rohit Sharma lends solidity to the top order.
The last time India won the Champions Trophy in England in 2013, the opening partnership of Dhawan and Rohit did a stellar job.
The opening combination was little short on confidence and it showed in the way the batted in the first few overs. Both Rohit and Dhawan looked nervous at the start of the innings.
Rohit was beaten couple of times in the first over and Dhawan batted at a strike rate of 50 until about the fifth or sixth over. Both the batsmen understandably took their time in setting up a platform which helped Yuvraj, Kohli and Pandya to tee off in the final few overs.
Even though India would have been happy with the opening combination returning to form, the biggest relief for India would have been the return to form and fitness of Yuvraj Singh. Yuvraj – as Kohli pointed out after the match – is a game changer.
There were lots of questions over his fitness and form ahead of the game and the genial south paw answered his critics in the best way possible. Yuvraj played one of the most important innings for himself and for the team’s confidence in the tournament.
Yuvraj Singh plays in the crucial position for India in ODI and his returning to form gives huge boost to India’s chances.
Even though Indian bowling is very good this time around, the batting always gives them the confidence in the major tournaments. India began their defence of the title with lots of question marks around the team selection and the batting form of some of their players but after the first game, India has ticked lots of the boxes.
A firing batting unit is crucial for India’s campaign and the first game has shown that all is well in that regard for team India.
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
India has a great chance of sealing their Semi Final spot tonight. They should not take Sri Lanka lightly and look at what happened to SA yesterday against Pakistan. If India plays to their potential, they should be able to get past SL. Sri Lanka though always play well in major tournaments, so can always spring a surprise.
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
There are lots of assumptions in that post. Dhoni not being the striking power anymore is the only fact. The dismissal of Jadhav is perplexing we neither have for or against evidence of his batting in these conditions. So passing a judgement that he will not be able to do the job is a bit premature for me. These English pitches are either dry or flat, similar to what we find back home, so I don't think he will have much issues. India in 2013 won with practically the same team minus Yuvraj and Pandya. Dhoni wasn't a hitting force then either. Dinesh Karthik played in 2013 and we did have Suresh Raina. But the core was the same. I don't have issues with the big hitting part in the final overs as mostly when India does get big scores it is one from the top 4 who scores big and stays till the end.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
It depends on who is in at the death overs. Pandya is a genuinely brutal death over batsman in prime form right now. He is one of the hardest hitters in the world today, and a department in which India was very weak indeed with an ageing Dhoni losing his finishing ability of yore. Jadhav is genuinely unreliable and not in the same class. If either Kohli or Yuvraj is in with Pandya at the end, its curtains for the opposition death bowlers. Otherwise, India will be found wanting in those overs.
Giri Subramanian
Roar Guru
The point of the article was that all the batters got a decent hit and are looking in decent touch that was not the case after the warm up games. India even though would not relax but will be relieved that the top 4 got some runs. In terms of Dhoni, he mostly will bat in top 4 unless the situation was like the Pakistan game where quick runs are needed. Jadhav is a question mark but again the pitches here are flat and he should be able toto find his groove.
Savage
Roar Rookie
exactly what i was thinking.india would struggle in death overs with bat
Brasstax
Guest
I would not rush into such a positive conclusion. Arguably the game changing partnership was between Kohli and Yuvraj and both of them were dropped at the beginning of their innings. Those were catches that teams like SA, Aus and England will definitely take and had those two catches been held the total might have been much lower. By his own admission Dhoni is past his prime as far as tail end big hitting goes and Jadhav's technique is yet to be tested overseas. Pandya and Jadeja though capable are not consistent.