Batting icon Sunil Gavaskar has predicted that the battle between Harry Brook and Jasprit Bumrah will determine the fate of India’s T20 World Cup semi-final match against England and urged the home team to use its pace spearhead for at least two overs in the Powerplay.
In a rematch of the semi-final matches from the 2022 and 2024 editions, reigning champions India will play England on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
“I do believe that he (Bumrah) should be bowling at least two overs in the powerplay because as a new ball bowler, if he can get those early wickets… Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Harry Brook, he will have pretty much broken the back of the England batting,” PTI quoted Gavaskar as saying on Tuesday.
During the Powerplay, Bumrah has primarily bowled just one over, with the side preserving at least two of his overs in the closing stages. However, he had bowled two overs up front in India’s Super Eights loss to South Africa.
“…him coming in to bowl the fifth over, when four overs have already been bowled and the batters have got about 20 deliveries, means that both batters have got about 8-10 deliveries to settle in. So, wouldn’t it be better then for Bumrah and for India if Bumrah were to bowl to them first and get them out?” he wondered.
Gavaskar anticipates a “humdinger” in which the hosts have a minor advantage because to Bumrah and their adaptable batting squad.
Rohit Sharma’s team defeated the Three Lions at Providence, West Indies, two years after England defeated India by ten wickets in Adelaide in 2022.
“Both sides are very well-matched. They have got batting and bowling. They have got middle-order and, you know, the finisher. Both teams have variety in their bowling,” he said.
“England have got a few players who have played in the IPL, who are familiar with Indian conditions, familiar with the pressure of playing a knockout. So, I think it is going to be a humdinger,” he added.
What, then, makes Bumrah such a deadly bowler in all formats? One of the main reasons, according to Gavaskar, was his enigma.
“If you have read Andre Agassi’s autobiography (Open), how did he pick up where Boris Becker was going to serve? He wasn’t able to pick his serve the first few times and then he realised that if he had his tongue on the left as he tossed the ball up, then he would be serving wide. If he had his tongue on the right, then he would be serving on the centre line.
“But in Bumrah’s case, he doesn’t give you anything away. Therefore, it’s very, very difficult to read him. And because he sort of goes wide and then delivers the ball, you often tend to think it’s going to basically come in. But he can get the ball to move away. So that’s why he’s been such a devastating bowler in all three forms,” he noted.
Gavaskar cited Tilak Varma’s batting at several spots in this ICC showcase as an example of India’s very adaptable batting unit.
After the club management opted to add Sanju Samson into the eleven, Tilak, who had previously batted at No. 3, dropped to Nos. 5 and 6. But in the Super Eight games against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, the left-hander made significant contributions that helped India get to the semifinals.
“I have always thought of Tilak Varma as a very smart cricketer, somebody who assesses the situation well and then plays accordingly. I think down the order at No.5 or 6, he really can see what is the need of the hour. I think the way he batted (vs Windies), he really took the pressure off Samson.
“If he (Tilak) was struggling, then Samson would have had to take a few risks. In recent times, we have been told that batting order can be flexible. And I think India is fortunate to have players like Tilak who can bat at 3 or even bat at 5 or 6,” he added.
Although veteran batsman Jos Buttler may be having some difficulties in this competition, Gavaskar warned India not to take the Englishman lightly.
“He can be the kind of dangerous player that Abhishek Sharma is. So, I think getting Buttler’s wicket early is going to be a ideal. He can be, as we have seen in the IPL and in the ICC events, such a destructive batter.
“He’s going through a lean patch, just like, you know, Samson went through or even Suryakumar Yadav was going through for some time. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that, you know, he doesn’t find firm on Thursday,” he said.
