Image Credit- BCCI
India hasn’t lost a bilateral men’s T20I series at home
in almost five years. In that span, they have won 13 games and drawn two.
Although India’s players and coaching staff must take
great pride in this impressive record, what does it really signify in an
attention-gested economy that revolves on the ICC event cycle? India’s decision
to bat first after winning the toss was the main talking point of Sunday’s
series-ending six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in one vociferous and
demanding section of social media. They hadn’t pushed themselves hard enough,
and it’s just not acceptable to not push yourself when a T20 World Cup is about
to happen.
Now more than ever, the T20 World Cup is approaching.
India’s final Twenty20 International before that tournament is the series
finale in Bengaluru. But that competition – and a whole IPL season – are still
over five months away.
Bengaluru, thus, is located in an odd and ill-defined
area. It is a dead rubber match far off from any actual significance, yet it is
also a pivotal game in the build-up to an international tournament. It might
not be clear what it means for months to come, if it means anything at all.
How much easier, therefore, to just play the game, to
really live it, one ball at a time?
Although neither player has had much opportunity to
bat yet, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar have had excellent ball series. In
the first two Twenty20 Internationals, India’s top order was able to bat freely
because to the availability of two spin-bowling all-rounders at Nos. 7 and 8.
India may be able to deploy this combination in the T20 World Cup due to
conditions in the West Indies and potentially the USA. Bengaluru’s small
boundaries and flat pitch will provide them with another opportunity to put it to
the test.