The third T20 between India and England was a one sided affair with the visitors putting up a dominating display at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Ahmedabad to win the encounter by eight wickets. The star of the show was the attacking batting by Jos Buttler who took the Indian bowling apart and taking a 2-1 lead in the series. During the effortless chase undertaken by the English batsmen the cameras panned to Virat Kohli who cut a frustrated figure with defeat looming large. In this list we look at five things India need to do to not only win the next game but also to win the series with only two matches remaining.
Dropping KL Rahul and opening with Ishan Kishan
The Indian Express
There is no doubting the talents of KL Rahul at the top of the order but the 28 year old has been going through a rough patch after a prolonged absence from active cricket. In this series so far he has scored 1 and two ducks and has failed to provide the Indian team the starts he normally has given. It would be for his betterment if Kohli can rest KL Rahul and give Ishan Kishan a go at the top of the order along with Rohit Sharma
Bringing back Suryakumar Yadav
Ishan Kishan opening the innings could open a spot in the middle order for a potential finisher and this is where Suryakumar Yadav comes into the equation. The 30 year old has every stroke in the book and can play the ball to every corner of the ground. Even though he made his debut during the second T20 he did not get a chance to showcase his batting talents and given a chance he would love to show the world why he was selected for India in the first place.
Bringing back Axar Patel for Washington Sundar
The Indian Express
Just ten days ago Axar Patel was the toast of the nation after his 27 wicket haul during the test series against England, but after his first T20 appearance the 27 year old has not figured in the playing XI for India. Washington Sundar too has not been in top form with the ball and hasn’t gotten much to do with the bat during the series. The team management could be prompted to bring in Axar Patel and give him a clear run at the opposition which is still licking wounds of the test series.
Inclusion of Deepak Chahar and Navdeep Saini
The Indian new ball attack as looked pedestrian at best with the failure of Bhuvneshwar Kumar who is returning after an injury layoff and Shardul Thakur who has been abysmal with his bowling in the first three games. Virat Kohli could have Deepak Chahar as the potent weapon with the new ball as he could swing the new ball and Navdeep Saini could match the blistering pace of Archer and Wood as he can bowl in the early 150’s with ease in the T20- format.
Clarity in cricket
It seems India lacks clarity when batting first during international T20 cricket off late. In both the games India has played where it has batted first at Ahmedabad the run rate in the first six overs has been under five runs per over and huge wickets lost, yesterday Kohli’s innings was the difference maker. The captain and coach need to sit down with the wards and have a clear game plan for every English bowler and every batsman, because just like the openers the bowlers too lose their control after being smacked for a few runs and lose their shape and see their shoulders drooped.