As India wrap up their preparations for the T20 World Cup in the fifth and final T20 International against New Zealand on Saturday in Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson would anticipate fervent home support to boost his performance despite concerns about Axar Patel’s fitness.
In the fourth Twenty20 International at Visakhapatnam, India played in an experimental manner, using only five front-line bowlers and not bowling Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. The hosts lost in Vizag, therefore the strategy did not provide the intended outcome.
As India has already sealed the series, the result does not alter the final outcome. The management may give mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy a chance after resting him for the last two games, as has been the case throughout this series.
The management will keep an eye on Samson, even though the batting department might not see too many changes. Samson used to be a free-flowing batsman, but these days it seems like he has everything on his plate.
The think tank will be more concerned about the technical inconsistencies that have recently crept into his batting and the consequent loss of confidence than the drying up of runs.
Before the ICC showcase begins on February 7, a heavy back foot and an incorrect bat swing may need some serious correction. The lean patch cannot be allowed to enter a terminal phase as Samson is a contender for the pivotal opening slot at the marquee event. However, Samson may be able to rediscover his lost rhythm in his hometown with the support of his ardent fans.
The team’s arrival that was shared by the BCCI made it evident that Samson is a superstar in this part of the country. At the airport exit, where hundreds of supporters had gathered to witness the local favorite and his colleagues, skipper Suryakumar Yadav was spotted amusingly making room for “Chetta” (older brother).
Samson’s vital backup option, Ishan Kishan, has been playing well in this rubber. However, the wicketkeeper batter had to miss the last game due to an unidentified injury.
Axar has not featured since picking up a finger injury in the first T20I at Nagpur, but the left-arm spinner did roll his arm over briefly in the nets ahead of the fourth game in Visakhapatnam.
There are team goals to be achieved beyond the individual scenarios. India will play their opening encounter in the T20 World Cup on February 7 in Mumbai, which shows that in contemporary cricket, there is a very short turnaround time between matches or series. Therefore, India will not be handling this as a dead rubber by any means. A dominant 4-1 margin will further enhance the confidence of a team brimming with style, strength and depth.
The Kiwis would not want that to occur. In the first three games, they appeared helpless against India’s assault, but at Visakhapatnam, they managed to quiet the big guns of the home team.
Despite Shivam Dube’s blitz, the visiting bowlers were able to contain the rest of the batting unit once they took out Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. A 3-2 series margin will keep them in a positive frame of mind ahead of upcoming, more difficult assignments because they now understand that this Indian team is not exactly unbeatable.
India have won three out of their four T20 matches played at the Greenfield Stadium, which is a high-scoring venue with a smooth pitch. One of that wins was against New Zealand in 2017.
However, as captain Mitchell Santner stated, the Kiwis now understand what it takes to defeat India, which should make for an exciting match.
New Zealand’s top order now has a lot more firepower thanks to the addition of opener Tim Seifert. Additionally, they hope to improve their bowling performance by bringing in Lockie Ferguson, an express pacer, though this will depend on his level of fitness.
Teams (from):
India: Suryakumar Yadav (Capt.), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (Vice-Capt.), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravi Bishnoi
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (Capt.), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
