CHENNAI: There are no surprises in India's WT20 squad announced on Friday, other than Delhi left-arm spinner Pawan Negi. Selectors have made just two changes to the squad that blanked Australia 3-0 in the shortest format recently. Pacer Mohammed Shami has returned from injury to replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar. All-rounder Rishi Dhawan has made way for Negi, who has also been a useful bat lower down the order in the IPL.
It's the presence of four spinners in the 15 that perhaps shows a bit of intent apart from offering a rough idea of the kind of pitches one can expect. Batting is India's strength, but to win tournaments bowlers must be effective. Despite the emergence of Jasprit Bumrah Down Under, spinners continue to be India's best bets in home conditions. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja with Harbhajan Singh and Negi in the squad suggest selectors have kept that in mind.
This is not to suggest that turners will be on offer at the event starting next month. T20 in India is designed to be a batsman's game and news coming out of the BCCI's grounds and pitches committee indicates that preparations are on to produce surfaces that aid scoring. But, things can still be on the slower side, offering just that bit to spinners which makes the ball grip the turf slightly and plants a seed of doubt in the batsman's mind. Sri Lanka's World Cup triumph of 1996 was built almost as much on this principle as explosive batting at the top of the order. Most of the teams to have won the IPL too have benefited significantly from spinners, be it Sunil Narine, Ashwin or Harbhajan. Given the tendency of fast bowlers to be erratic, spin is what India must rely on. So why not pack the squad with them with part-timers like Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, who also bowl that variety.
That said, the pace department doesn't look bad either. A fit Shami can cause problems with early movement and if not anything else, his presence will keep Ashish Nehra and Bumrah on their toes. With all-rounder Hardik Pandya, India have this department covered and the attack overall has all the varieties except for a leg-spinner. There is little to say about batting because all batsmen pick themselves on current form. Quite a turnaround this, after the 1-4 defeat in ODIs in Australia. But that's how quickly things can change in the world of T20!
India's WT20 squad: MS Dhoni (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bhumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan Negi, Mohd Shami.