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Pakistan’s Usman Tariq has been under the spotlight for his unorthodox action featuring a long pause at the crease before delivering the ball. While there is debate among former cricketers about his action, India’s wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan revealed that there is no need for special preparation for Tariq. Ahead of the blockbuster India-Pakistan clash on February 15 in Colombo, Kishan said that the India batters will stick to their natural game and believe in their strengths.
"No, I think we've already done the preparation part. Now it's just about watching the ball and playing our natural game," Kishan said at the post-match press conference when asked about whether batting against Gerhard Erasmus was a good preparation to face Tariq.
"If the ball is there to hit, as batters, we feel like going for it because it's a T20 game and we're trying to set a good total. But we also have to believe in our strengths."
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Pakistan opted for a spin-heavy attack against the USA. Kishan says that the team does not prepare for a specific opposition. They just do their homework and try to keep it simple.
"There's nothing as such that we have to prepare. At this level, we watch a few videos and get an idea of the kind of bowling we'll face. We're just keeping it simple," the opener said.
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Tariq’s T20I career so far
Tariq made his T20 World Cup debut against the USA. He bagged three wickets for 27 runs, taking the game away from the USA in the second half of the run chase. The 28-year-old has played just four T20Is so far and claimed 11 wickets at an average of 7.90. His economy rate is an impressive 7.90. He made his T20I debut against South Africa last year. He picked up a four-fer against Zimbabwe. Then, Pakistan used his services in just one match against Australia where he took two wickets.
Kishan goes berserk in powerplay
Kishan scored 61 runs from 24 balls Namibia to get India off to a terrific start in the absence of an unwell Abhishek Sharma. He hit five sixes and six fours in his knock. In the sixth over, he hit JJ Smit for four consecutive sixes and a four. India were 86/1 after powerplay overs. Kishan reached his fifty from just 20 balls. He became the third Indian batter to complete his half-century in powerplays in T20 World Cup history.
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