The next World T20 is scheduled for 2020 in Australia because the ICC, in its infinite wisdom, sought to move from a two-year to four-year cycle for this money-spinning event. Perhaps they were afraid of giving associate teams more chances on the international stage. Perhaps not, for there have been rumours of a hastily conceived edition in 2018 (in South Africa). But we are edging close to the end of January 2017, and there has been no confirmation of the same.
Keeping 2020 in mind then, there isn’t any specific purpose for a bilateral T20I series at the moment. There is nothing to build towards, as opposed to the 50-over format wherein we have the Champions Trophy this June and then the road to the 2019 World Cup will commence in earnest. As such, it puts up a big question: what was the need for a three-match T20I series at this juncture?
Team India doesn’t play too many bilateral T20I series, which is understandable since the IPL occupies a prime pedestal in this format. The longest international run they had was in the first quarter of 2016 when they played in Australia, against Sri Lanka at home and then the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. It was a specific build-up to the World T20 thereafter, a chance for the team to find its groove.
Sure, they played three T20Is in Zimbabwe and then another two in West Indies last summer too. But the former tour was a lets-see-who-we-have-next kind of trip, with most A-list players missing out. It was more an audition for places, never mind that Zimbabwe beat India in the first match and made things interesting. And the Florida T20Is, well, it was just about BCCI breaking new financial ground in USA.
None of this still logically proves why India engaged England in only a three-ODI series, and now changes gears once again to joust in a shorter format. The ECB’s standpoint is understandable – they do not mind for they have an ODI tour of West Indies to go. Additionally, their home season will be up and running by the time the Champions Trophy rolls over.
But the Men in Blue do not play another ODI until their first fixture in the Champions Trophy – the big clash against Pakistan at Birmingham on June 4. Wasn’t it prudent to extend the recently concluded ODI series to a five-match affair and then play a solitary T20I, if at all needed? It was the protocol followed during India’s 2014 tour to England, some nine months away from the 2015 World Cup and with no World T20 in sight.
Was it too much to ask for a resemblance of the same fixture list? Regardless of the answer, it will go down as another one in the myriad mysteries regarding the BCCI.
Weighing up options
The change in format – and an end to the ODI series – means there will be some personnel changes for the Indian team. One name in this T20I squad garners attention – Suresh Raina.
The left-hander last played international cricket in the 2016 World T20 semi-final. He last played ODI cricket way back in 2015, against South Africa when India lost 3-2 and was overlooked for the Australia tour last January. Oddly enough, when the selectors – and team management – decided to recall Yuvraj Singh for the England series, Raina was ignored once again.
He had failed at No. 4 against South Africa and, thereafter, the search for finishers had begun. Gurkeerat Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav were given chances ahead of him, and the latter two have made considerable impression. Furthermore, it makes for some wonderment if Jadhav’s recent success at No. 6 has put paid to Raina’s chances of a comeback for the Champions Trophy. These T20Is – and the IPL thereafter – will have a key bearing on his future.
Elsewhere, with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja rested, Amit Mishra once again leads the spin attack. Parvez Rasool might get a game. Yuzvendra Chahal is there too, and Virat Kohli is known to experiment with his combinations. However, playing two leg-spinners in the same eleven might be bit of a stretch even for his ‘aggressive’ imagination.
Kohli on top
Talking about experimentation though, Kohli had an interesting thing to say in the pre-match conference. “In IPL, you don’t have many Indian batsmen to choose from because they are spread across different franchises. Here, we have a lot of options, which is a good thing. If need be, I can open. It all depends on the balance of the side,” said the skipper.
It makes for an exciting opportunity. Kohli is arguably the best batsman in the world today. His performances in both Tests and ODIs have regaled many, but he hasn’t been without dips therein. In the shortest format though, he is in a different class altogether, almost as if the challenges and limitations of T20 cricket do not apply to him.
If he moves up the order to open the innings (eventually with Rohit Sharma on his return), then Raina conceivably moves up to No. 3, his position of choice in the T20 format. With MS Dhoni available later on, throwing in some big-hitting elements as well, it makes for a solid line-up.
These three T20s make a good testing ground for this formula. Too bad, it is a pointless exercise at this time.
India (expected XI): Mandeep Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Parvez Rasool, Amit Mishra, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah.
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