Head coach Rahul Dravid of Team India has acknowledged the consideration of wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal in the starting lineup for the crucial T20 World Cup Super 8 match against Afghanistan on June 20. Dravid emphasized the impact of Barbados spinfriendly conditions compared to the seamerfriendly environment in New York.
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York hosted the Men in Blue’s first three group matches. Their first Super 8 encounter versus Afghanistan will take place at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. In the run-up to the battle, a number of critics have advised India to incorporate an extra spinner in their playing XI, taking the circumstances into account.
Speaking on the eve of India’s first Super 8 battle, Rahul Dravid confessed that the management was thinking along similar lines. During the pre-match news conference, he stated, as cited by PTI:
“It’s tough to leave anyone out. New York had pace bowlers conditions… slightly different. We might need something different here (in Barbados). Yuzi (Chahal) or Kuldeep (Yadav) could be used here. We are lucky to have players with all-round abilities. We had eight batters but we (also) had seven bowling options.”
Rahul Dravid
In the T20 World Cup, India has used a flexible batting order. After losing early wickets against Pakistan, Axar Patel was promoted to No. 4. The Indian head coach emphasized that the batting order will remain flexible based on the conditions.
“Each situation is unique. Can’t set it in stone. I believe in flexibility. The Pakistan game we moved Axar (Patel), specifically thinking around it… Rishabh (Pant) up the order (at No. 3), lots of thinking goes into it. I don’t think in Tests (cricket), we will have that flexibility. In T20s where it is a lot about match-ups, you see it happening more.”
Rahul Dravid
While Rishabh Pant has done an excellent job at No. 3, Axar scored a critical 20 off 18 balls in the victory over Pakistan.
“They are not a team that should be taken lightly” – Rahul Dravid on Afghanistan
India heads into their Super 8 clash against Afghanistan as the favorites given their unbeaten record against them in the T20I format. However Dravid humorously warns that underestimating Afghanistan in the T20 format could lead to unexpected outcomes.
“Certainly, in this format, they are not a team that should be taken lightly and they are deservedly in the Super 8s. We will not treat them any differently as we would treat any other team we expect to play in the Super 8s.”
Rahul Dravid
Afghanistan defeated the West Indies by 104 runs in St. Lucia, but not before securing their spot in the Super 8 with three straight victories in the group stage.