Rishabh Pant, who can open the inning in addition to keeping the wicket, is a ready replacement for Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid.
The India team management would have had time to think about their first T20 World Cup loss on the three-hour journey from Perth to Adelaide. Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have selection issues about KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik as they prepare to face Bangladesh at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.
Rahul’s scores thus far are 4, 9, and 9. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar questioned his footwork and mindset after his dismissals.
The question that comes up is whether Dinesh Karthik will remain the finisher after failing against Pakistan and South Africa Karthik wasn’t picked for the squad for the three T20Is against New Zealand after the T20 World Cup on Monday. Still, head selector Chetan Sharma refrained from commenting on the team management’s selection choices in Australia.
KL Rahul struggling badly-
Rahul had four consecutive fifties against South Africa at home and in practice games. Against Pakistan, he inside-edged a nervous defensive prod against his stumps; against the Netherlands, he fell leg-before to an incoming delivery and didn’t review the judgment; against South Africa, he tamely guided a shortish delivery straight to slip.
Gavaskar said Rahul’s first left-footed move caused him problems against the Netherlands. He must fix it. He doesn’t commit forward, back, or stay still, one of the three decisive factors; instead, he wobbles and is timid with his defensive prods. Gavaskar criticized Paddy Upton for not doing anything with Rahul and said the team’s mental fitness coach should tell him he can score big.
The team has always started with their first-choice player. With India’s two remaining group games against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, he may want to recover his rhythm before the semi-finals.
The case of Dinesh Kartik-
The India team management and the senior selection committee chose Karthik for the finisher’s role, a new post. Death-over specialist, they said. Karthik’s pre-World Cup performance, including in the IPL, was mainly positive.
Karthik has only batted twice so far. He got second against Pakistan’s spin, which isn’t his strong point. Suryakumar Yadav was the only batsman to perform well against South Africa.
Like Rahul, Karthik might gain confidence by scoring against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The team management has invested heavily in Karthik following the IPL in preparation for this World Cup. It will be intriguing to see how long they give him as the tournament nears its end.
Pant waiting in line-
During a nets practice, Pant stated his desire to play. Pant has done well in Australia in the past, while Karthik has done better in subcontinent conditions. Pant’s strike rate is 136.84 from 17 innings, and Karthik’s is 141.41 from 21. Pant has opened previously, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if he does it again.
Karthik left the field against South Africa owing to back concerns, but he appeared well on the way to Adelaide. His condition will be evaluated before Bangladesh. India has a replacement if Karthik is out.
Tight call whether Axar or Hooda-
South Africa had four left-handed batsmen in their top seven, but India chose off-spin all-rounder Deepak Hooda over Axar Patel in Perth. Hooda threw a three-ball duck. Adelaide won’t be like Perth when quick bowlers ruled and spinners struggled. Hooda just had one bad game, and Bangladesh has lots of left-handers. Unlike Rahul and Karthik’s, this one is tactical.
