Focus on Bowling

The recently concluded India England match witnessed India’s struggle to outpace the top order batsmen in the first 20 overs. Despite losing the toss, the favourites did not utilize much of the opportunity available on the steady pitch and thus the benefit of doubt was in favour of English batsmen with a run rate exceeding 6 runs per over.

Team India should now focus on getting quicker wickets while bowling first, irrespective of the toss factor. English conditions are a challenge to new-age bowlers who haven’t yet set a mark on its soil. Hence the onus on getting good wickets depends on bowling squad only to reduce the opponents’ mammoth scorecard as witnessed in previous games.

The team has already suffered a major blow with the exit of Shikhar Dhawan owing to injury. As the Indian team has already been berthed in the semi-finals, it should not be carried away by the mere successive win record in this tournament and should focus highly on strengthening the bowling department, especially when put to field first.

Varun Dambal,

72, 1st Block,

Nagarbhavi,

Bangalore-72.