Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman was left impressed by the manner of India’s victories in the last three matches of the T20 World Cup that helped the team to sign off on a high.
In his column for the Times of India, Laxman wrote, “Yet another World Cup gone by, yet another dream unfulfilled. India has every reason to look back at their campaign in the UAE with disappointment but I am a firm believer that every adversity presents an opportunity. If India can take the lessons from their abortive run at the T20 World Cup on board and make the necessary course correction, some goodwill still has come out of the last fortnight.
Virat Kohli ended his stint as India’s 20-overs captain on a winning note after his eliminated side beat Namibia by 9 wickets on Monday.
“With the next T20 World Cup less than a year away, I am sure India will have identified a template that new coach Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, all set to become the next captain, will encourage the team to embrace whole-heartedly. It’s important for India to understand that they can’t afford to keep playing 20-over cricket in the same mould as they would the 50-over game,” Laxman added.
For the forthcoming T20I series against New Zealand, the selectors on Tuesday made a number of changes to the squad that featured in the T20 World Cup, bringing in Ruturaj Gaikwad, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel, while dropping all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
“I do feel two crucial gaps must be addressed post-haste. The first priority will be to invest in a batsman who can bowl a few overs of medium pace, whether that be Venkatesh Iyer or Shivam Dube. This option doesn’t necessarily have to be a back-up to Hardik Pandya but a standalone choice because it will give the captain more flexibility in picking his 11,” Laxman opined.
Ravi Shastri, who took up the job of Indian team coach in mid-2017, had ruled out seeking an extension after his tenure expires following the T20 World Cup. Under Shastri, India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia (2018-19) and triumphed again Down Under in 2020-21. India climbed to the top of the Test rankings and reached the final of this year’s inaugural World Test Championship, where they were beaten by New Zealand.
“The other would be zeroing in on two solid pacemen capable of supporting Jasprit Bumrah and capitalising on the pace and bounce Australia is certain to offer. If one of them is a left-armer who brings a different angle of operation, then all the better. The process of identification and grooming must begin immediately so that by the time of the World Cup, these players are comfortable and secure in their roles and aware fully of the responsibilities they are entrusted with. As three long-serving members of the coaching staff move on to their next innings, I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful contributions of Ravi Shastri as well as B Arun and R Sridhar. Ravi is an excellent man-manager whose tactical acumen is second to none. His inspirational presence enabled the team to bounce back from setbacks frequently and immediately. He instilled belief, killer instinct and a never-say-die attitude,” Laxman signed off.
