June 28, 2024

India Clamps Down on Stumps to Strengthen Their Lead in Guyana

Topping, Turning, and Barely Bouncing Above the Knees: The Guyana Surface Mirrors Indian Pitches The surface in Guyana for India’s semi-final bore an uncanny resemblance to the pitches back home, exhibiting characteristics of topping, turning, and barely bouncing above the knees.

There had been considerable uproar regarding India’s prior knowledge of their semi-final venue for the T20 World Cup. Critics questioned the integrity of the competition, suggesting that India enjoyed an “unfair advantage” due to Guyana being the most spin-friendly venue in the Caribbean, a sentiment that gained widespread traction.

Conversely, some argued that India had not played at the venue for an extended period, meaning prior familiarity offered little benefit. Captain Rohit Sharma even asserted that it was “not an advantage” for the team.

However, whether by design or coincidence, the Guyana pitch presented qualities that favored the Indian bowling attack: it was low, slow, and provided substantial grip. Expectations were high for India to deliver strong performances.

But when they ended with a score of 171-7, memories of Adelaide likely flashed through their minds. It was the same occasion and the same opponents, yet this score was only three runs more than what they managed in the 2022 semi-final. While the conditions may have varied, India understood the critical need for precise planning and execution. After all, England were the defending champions and still boasted much of the firepower that had served them well previously.

What followed was a display of tactical brilliance that will be remembered for years

Powerplay Part One: England

Before the game, England stood out as the only team in the tournament with an opening partnership strike rate exceeding 150 while boasting an average above 40. A strong start was imperative on a wicket where India’s spinners were likely to play a crucial role later in the innings. With Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, two of the most destructive T20 openers in form, England’s top order presented India’s biggest challenge.

However, Buttler and Salt share similar vulnerabilities: they struggle against deliveries that angle into their bodies, restricting their ability to stay leg-side and free their arms against pace and spin. India knew very well how vulnerable it was.

Arshdeep Singh began the first over with a deep backward square leg positioned for Salt. The short, fine leg was moved back to counter Buttler, and the sweeper cover came inside the circle to defend against Buttler’s signature ramp shot. Notably, neither batsman had a slip in place.  Jasprit Bumrah shared the new ball and adopted similar field placements.

It was evident that India aimed to eliminate the off-side option for the two right-handers, and they succeeded. The first two overs produced 13 runs, with four coming off an outside edge; all other scoring shots were directed to the on-side.

Arshdeep faced some punishment in the third over, conceding three boundaries, only one of which came off a poor delivery. Nonetheless, England raced to 26-0 after three overs. India swiftly shifted to Plan B.

Powerplay Part Two: India

Axar Patel was introduced for the fourth over and struck gold immediately. Buttler, attempting a premeditated reverse sweep, was early on the shot and top-edged it into Rishabh Pant’s waiting hands. A deliberately slow delivery on off stump caught Buttler off guard, demonstrating Axar’s strategy of not wanting to over-pitch on a “slow” wicket, as batters had told him it was “not easy to hit.”

England then promoted left-handed Moeen Ali to No. 3, likely to counter the Axar threat and spare Jonny Bairstow from facing him. However, this move backfired as Bairstow had to come out in the next over after a brilliant delivery from Bumrah bowled Salt.

Bumrah had already unsettled Salt with a sharp back-of-length delivery before unleashing a dipping off-cutter that knocked over his leg stump. Bairstow then faced a seaming beauty on his first ball, a delivery that would impress the best Test bowlers—oh wait, Bumrah is one.

In the sixth over, Bairstow and the England fans were reminded that traumatic memories in Ahmedabad are not exclusive to India. Axar hit him with a low, straight arm-ball that seemed innocuous. Sound familiar?

After six overs, which felt longer than they were, England found themselves at 39-3, with the core of their batting order already back in the pavilion.

Kuldeep & Co. Hone In on the Stumps

India should have spent more time bringing Kuldeep Yadav into the attack. The fourth ball of his first over, which spun sharply from around Moeen’s off stump towards the comprehensive line, signaled trouble for England.

Things worsened for England when Moeen carelessly wandered out of his crease on the first ball of the eighth over, losing track of the ball and gifting his wicket to Axar.

Harry Brook used backfoot punches, reverse sweeps, and sweeps to provide some resistance. Still, the pinpoint accuracy with which India targeted the stumps proved too much for England to handle.

After the game, Rohit said that the discussion during the innings break had been to “try and hit the stumps as much as possible, and to keep the stumps at play”. Six of the eight non-run out dismissals were either bowled or lbw, while Buttler and Moeen were also dismissed off balls in and around the stumps. It was only poetic that the last act of the match was Bumrah pinning a tailender lbw with a yorker to complete a 68-run victory.

Many feared this outcome when India was assigned the semi-final in Guyana. The conditions bore an uncanny resemblance to typical Indian Test venues, where Indian spin trios have dominated Western batting orders for over a decade.

Despite the familiar conditions and their opponents’ well-documented weaknesses, there was much to admire about India’s surgical precision. Historically, they have been prone to unraveling near the finish line in major tournaments. Still, they appeared focused and determined in Guyana, as if they had unfinished business. They were locked in, both literally and metaphorically.

Rally behind your team! Check out our site and share your support with pride.

Top Cricket News | T20 Blast |  T20 Blast News | Bangladesh Premier League | Big Bash League | Cricket WC | IPL | PSL