It was just before the start of the 29th over of the Afghanistan innings. The total was 106/2 and asked if India could pull it off, a fan in blue said “Looks bad. They are going steady. Six or seven per over in the last 10 wouldn’t be difficult if they keep wickets in hand.”
As soon as he got off the elevator to go back to his place, came a roar from the stands. Another followed. Jasprit Bumrah’s double-wicket maiden had brought India back and soothed the nerves of thousands fearing the bad.
The twin strike was priceless under the circumstances, even though they came against rank outsiders. Till that point, even after that, the biggest upset of this World Cup was a possibility and the title contenders were staring at major embarrassment.
Virat Kohli’s team can look at the positive sides of the close shave. They had a bad day and still salvaged two points thanks finally to Mohammed Shami’s hat-trick in the last over.
In a tournament where teams play nine games each before the top four are separated from the also-rans, there will be times when the ball won’t roll your way.
Coming back from those days bruised yet unbeaten is the sign of a good side. That way, the nervy moments notwithstanding, what India achieved was praiseworthy. The performance of the bowling unit was something to take heart from.
There is another side to the story. Having come to the competition with a question mark over the middle-order, India travel to Manchester with that concern showing no sign of going away.
For the second time in four matches, No 4 came in when the need was to consolidate. Once again, the return was in the twenties. Unlike the first instance when they were chasing, this time the inability to bat longer put the middle-order under pressure. Had Kedar Jadhav not stood firm, the story would have been different.
It was a combination of disciplined bowling on a slow pitch and undisciplined batting that let India down.
KL Rahul’s was the most glaring error, which stood out for the way the batsman attempted a reverse sweep after doing the initial hard work. It’s a shot played worldwide, which involves the risk of being dubbed silly if it doesn’t come off. Showing signs of getting rid of inner demons in the previous game, Rahul goes back under scrutiny. His dismissal unsettled the innings when the skipper was in control.
This led to a phase that was always going to be testing. Even though the opposition was not top notch, Vijay Shankar at No 4 was facing a new challenge.
Unaccustomed to the role of occupying a specialist batsman’s position at this level, he kept Kohli company in a vital partnership. But just as it seemed they were guiding India to safety, Vijay paid the price of trying sweep one that was in line.
Ironically, the specialist batsman pushed down the order ensured the bowlers had something to defend. Despite overs remaining, Jadhav was sent in after MS Dhoni, who was neither here nor there. He was stepping out as soon as the spinners started jogging in, but didn’t manage more than a dead dab most of the times. His inability to take singles slowed things down when the team was expecting to step on the accelerator. Jadhav made most of the opportunity by compiling a half-century, losing partners almost throughout during his stay.
To the relief of those packing the stands, India’s bowlers showed mental strength and discipline to stifle the chase. There were periods when they didn’t take wickets, but the pressure was seldom released by loose deliveries.
They kept probing and their success, in the end, was the result of collective perseverance. Because they won, that is the plus India would carry forward, leaving the worries for another day.