The Indian selectors have not yet revealed the roster for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023 or the preliminary squad for the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023. A challenge faced by the Indian team in limited-overs games is the lack of skilled all-rounders if Ravindra Jadeja is not part of the playing lineup.
In the recent five-match T20I series loss to the West Indies, the weaknesses in the Indian batting lineup were exposed. Aakash Chopra, the former India opener, suggests that the team requires more batsmen who can contribute with the ball in both ODIs and T20Is.
He also advocates for the inclusion of spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar in India’s T20I plans. Sundar has been chosen for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland, which begins on Friday in Malahide.
In a tweet on the X platform (formerly Twitter), Chopra stated that considering most of the current Indian batters don’t bowl more than a couple of overs, there should be an emphasis on promoting batsmen who can provide bowling options. He also mentioned that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma should be given more opportunities and encouraged to bowl.
Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of including Washington Sundar in India’s T20 setup.
Also read: All Asia Cup 2023 Squads Announced
Esteemed Indian batsmen such as Rohit Sharma (with 11 international wickets) and Virat Kohli (with eight international wickets) have refrained from bowling for several years, despite making occasional contributions with the ball during their early years. This decision has led to the team missing out on the variety and additional options that their part-time bowling could have provided. Furthermore, emerging players like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav have predominantly featured as specialized batsmen.
In contrast, this was not the scenario with the Indian cricket team of the past. Legendary batting figures like Sachin Tendulkar (with 201 international wickets), Virender Sehwag (with 136 international wickets), Sourav Ganguly (with 132 international wickets), Yuvraj Singh (with 148 international wickets), and Suresh Raina (with 62 international wickets) possessed remarkable bowling capabilities. They had the knack for taking crucial wickets at pivotal moments when their team required it.
The team’s dependence on dedicated bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, and Umesh Yadav, combined with the contributions of all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and bowling all-rounders Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, and Ravichandran Ashwin, underscores the lack of batters who can also bowl. These players offer the team much-needed depth and versatility due to their consistent performance with both bat and ball.
In the final T20I against the West Indies, Tilak (with 14 wickets across first-class, List A, and T20 cricket) and Yashasvi (with seven wickets in various formats at the domestic level) were given the opportunity to bowl, but India ended up losing the match and the series with a 2-3 scoreline. Throughout the series, India’s shortage of batting depth proved to be a significant concern.
Ahead of the fourth T20I against the Windies, Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey mentioned that the team is actively working on improving Yashasvi and Tilak’s bowling abilities. He expressed confidence in their potential to contribute with the ball, having observed their bowling talents since their U19 days. Mhambrey stated that having versatile options like them is advantageous, and their progress in this aspect is ongoing. He anticipated seeing them bowl at least an over soon.
Team India’s journey in the Asia Cup 2023 will kick off with a match against traditional rivals Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy.
