India vs England: India Shouldn’t Discard New T20 Philosophy After One Loss

After the defeat against England on Friday (March 12) where he was the stand-out Indian batsman on show on a two-paced pitch, Shreyas Iyer offered a reassuring comment.

“It (our approach) will definitely not change. You see the batting line-up that we have and the power-hitters down the line,” Iyer, having made 67 off 48 in India’s 124/7, said at the post-match presser. “You know, we really don’t have to change anything to be honest. We have come with a plan and we need to execute it as much as possible.”

“Going into the World Cup, we need to see to it that we have ticked all the boxes. We have to try this as much as possible. This is a five-match series, so it’s a perfect time to try out different stuff and see whatever suits us.”

Shreyas Iyer reinforce faith India have on their new T20 approach.

Iyer’s words were reassuring because they reinforced the faith India have on their new mode of operation, their new philosophy for T20 batting. It was a game where India veered away from traditional route and focused on the attack from ball one, rather than opting to play as they do: keep wickets in hand and build towards the final flourish. It was nice to learn the team is not questioning the merits of the approach after one loss, instead feel only the execution was lacking.

The execution bit was made tougher on the day by England’s stellar bowling: their pacers were outstanding, they nailed the hard lengths and delivered the ball where a batsman least finds it comfortable to get the big shots going.

That level of accuracy and consistency isn’t associated with this England attack, though, and even if that wasn’t a one-off for this series, it’s important India keep the bigger picture in mind. There will always be hiccups along the way, as it isn’t an approach that comes to them naturally. But as long as they want to stick to the process, like West Indies and England did when they took their first steps down that path, India should know they’ll be better served for it in the long run.

India’s squad depth allows them to lengthen the batting without having to compromise the bowling. It’s a luxury only a few set-ups possess, with forces as potent as Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal available in the two departments in their first-choice team. T20 cricket anyway gives you the basic advantage of having 10 wickets to maximise 120 deliveries. Rarely teams get dismissed in the format but frequently post scores in excess of 180-200.

For England and West Indies, and other teams who have taken the aggressive approach and applied it successfully, it made sense to bat deep and have as many options to maximise their quota of overs. West Indies, especially, often lack the bowling resources to stop rampaging batsmen, and so they fill the team with such batsmen themselves.

India, on the other hand, have a more balanced setting, a fact that has only caused more frustration among fans regarding the old approach. Thus, even if the execution was lacking, India’s approach on Friday carried a breath of fresh air, with Virat Kohli leading by example. Kohli got for a 0 but his stay at the crease for five balls gave you a peek into his and his team’s new mindset.

Kohli didn’t go about resurrecting the situation he walked in with sedate batting, he pressed on the accelerator and looked to put the pressure back on England. Even if he went off-shape, Kohli will deep down know his swing through mid-wicket off Archer and his intent to hit Rashid over mid-off would’ve given him better results on another day, at a more even pitch.

There’s a lesson in there for him and his team. With more practice of the new approach in game-scenarios, India will be executing their skills and plans more regularly. But one loss shouldn’t mean they discard the approach itself. It’ll be a step backwards for an undoubtedly talented team.

Also Read: Dinesh Karthik Says Playing Next Two T20 World Cups “My Primary Objective”