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Team India kicked off their T20 World Cup campaign in style, crushing Ireland by 8 wickets in the Group A match played in New York. As expected, India opted for the familiar opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, leaving the young talent Yashasvi Jaiswal on the bench.
India's top order conundrum
While many anticipate this same opening combination for the upcoming high-octane clash against Pakistan, former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has a different perspective. Sidhu proposes a shake-up of the batting order, suggesting Yashasvi Jaiswal partner with Rohit Sharma at the top. This, according to him, would solidify the top order by injecting fresh talent and provide a strong foundation for the Indian innings. The inclusion of Jaiswal would offer a contrasting approach, potentially bringing more explosiveness early on. With the crucial match against Pakistan on the horizon, the debate surrounding India's batting strategy intensifies.
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"Ideally, the scenario should have been of the left-right combination; Yashasvi Jaiswal should have opened with Rohit Sharma and Virat to come at number 3 from my point of view. But from a team's perspective, they have changed the combination because then Shivam Dube and Axar Patel wouldn't have got the opportunity to play, so they have made this combination for a correct composition where Axar Patel is batting at no. 8, especially in this pitch where bowlers have an advantage," Sidhu told Star Sports.
Stage set for India vs Pakistan's big showdown
The stage is set for a high-octane clash as India takes on arch-rivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. Team India heads into this encounter brimming with confidence after their convincing victory against Ireland. On the other hand, Babar Azam-led Pakistan are looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking Super Over defeat to the United States. The New York pitch has been a talking point throughout the tournament, with several low-scoring encounters raising concerns. Sidhu acknowledges this trend, suggesting that high-scoring totals might not be achievable on this surface. Both teams will need to adapt their strategies to these pitch conditions as they vie for supremacy.
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"If the tournament would have opened in West Indies, then we would have seen Rohit and Yashasvi opening the match, there you wouldn't have needed the 6th or the 7th bowler. So from this perspective, the combination of Rohit and Virat is important as they both are experienced players and they understand that 1st 6 overs are important and they can gain runs after that. You can't expect 200 runs in this pitch, 130 or 140 runs would be good, and this combination will work," Sidhu concluded.
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