AHMEDABAD: There are enough tactical studies out there laying out the advantages of a left-handed heavy batting unit in this format, especially at the top. It's why most of the early disruptors and, since then, the winningest teams have had at least one or two of that batting type up in the top three.
When India sat down to plan their way ahead in this format post the 2024 T20 World Cup, they were keen on building a dynasty and one of those steps was building a batting unit heavy on left-handers (it also explains why South Africa have two lefties in the top three and have more in reserve).
But India may be forced to relook this strategy of theirs. Having a trio of them up top invites off-spin. Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan have played tons of off-spin wearing their India jersey and have routinely despatched them to the boundary. They have also had a lot of practice playing that particular bowling type for their various franchise and state teams.
But when you are not on form or when you allow uncertainty to creep up, it can act as a chimera. Why this batting unit has been a joy to watch over the last two years is because of the utter role clarity with which they have operated. Sanju Samson not making a run in the run-up to the World Cup upset those plans but it didn't matter because another left-hander joined the top-order.
Abhishek Sharma's trio of noughts, coupled with Varma's shaky performances against spin in the powerplay, had allowed that chimera to grow. At the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav had to answer several questions pertaining to Varma and Sharma.
On Sunday, Kishan, the one left-hander who has sparkled so far, was dismissed for a zero. Given all the talk, Aiden Markram was always going to open the bowling with his off-spin and it did the trick, a slightly floated full-length delivery did enough off the surface. Kishan, who has reaped his rewards batting in this manner, wanted to clear mid-wicket but the edge didn't clear the in-field on the off-side.
Sharma, a fluent shot-maker thanks to a very clear understanding of his role in this side, looked up to the heavens and punched Varma's gloves after hitting a boundary behind square on the off-side, his first runs of the tournament. But you could see that he has allowed this run of his to affect his thinking. After surviving spin, he gave into Marco Jansen's clever change of pace.
The one ultra questionable shot selection sandwiched the loss of Kishan and Sharma, Varma. Jansen, who has already had one of the great tours of India across formats over the last four months, pitched one on a middle stump line and going away from Varma's swinging arc. But the left-hander, who received a lot of support from his captain on Saturday evening, decided to charge down the track. After seeing a pacer, he was perhaps tempted to get some rhythm. But it was a wild, speculative across the line swipe and needless in the extreme. What makes Varma such a joy to watch is his ability to think clearly and marry that with his execution. Here, there was neither logic nor execution. And to rub salt into the wounds, he decided to review the edge. Even in real time, it was clear that he had nicked it through the keeper.
And, so, their trio of lefties up top had all been dismissed. It was the start of a procession and it only finished when they were bowled out for 111. Where do they go from here? A recall for Samson at his home new ground in the IPL? It would be in the kind of script Tamil film writers routinely churn out but this game is seldom played on a piece of paper.
