Star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, in an exclusive chat with Aaj Tak, explained the blueprint of how India can win their virtual semi-final contest against New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup on October 31.
A win on Sunday might not guarantee either team a place in the semi-final but a defeat might severe their chances of making it to the last four. Both the teams will also have to face Afghanistan and minnows Scotland and Namibia later in the tournament.
India have never beaten the BlackCaps in a T20 World Cup match and the 2007 T20 champions will be wary of the Kane Williamson-led squad, who ended their run in the 2019 50-over World Cup.
Harbhajan, the 2011 World Cup-winning India player, warned India against taking the Kiwis lightly when they step onto the field on Sunday.
“Yes, it is true that they don’t have strong bowling. They also don’t have depth in batting. New Zealand have always been a team that works as a unit. Though they have fewer resources but they play very well as a unit. They field brilliantly. They don’t bowlers like Shane Bond. They had a bowler like Lockie Ferguson, he is also injured. Their bowling doesn’t have that edge. But that doesn’t mean we will take New Zealand lightly and think that we will win this match easily. We will have to work hard,” Harbhajan told Aaj Tak.
Harbhajan further backed India to learn from their mistakes and put up a good show against New Zealand on October 31.
“If we have to beat New Zealand then I feel the mistakes that we made, that you asked from Maddi pa (Madan Lal) then we have to take wickets in the first six-overs, at least take two wickets. And if we bat first, then we don’t have to give any wickets. Even if we make 40-runs in the first six-overs or just 36-runs, but don’t give any wickets then things will be set. Then the game will be set. And then in the next 14-overs even if you score 120 or 130 then you end up with 160 or 170 and India have that bowling that can defend 170 on the board,” added the off-spinner.
There was no penetration by the bowlers during the India-Pakistan game and Bhajji explained the reasons for the lackadaisical performance by the bowlers. He also opined on what India’s plan should be to breach the New Zealand fortress. The Kiwis have not tasted defeat against India since 2003 at the World Cup.
“Yes, it didn’t happen because there was no fall of wickets in the first six-overs. And the day they take wickets in the first six-overs then this is the same bowling that will appear different to you, same bowlers will appear different. It is important to get the wicket to mount pressure on the opponents. That day, Pakistan played far better cricket than India and that is why they won. They ticked all the boxes which we failed to do so. We didn’t take the wickets in the first powerplay. We didn’t score in the first powerplay and lost wickets. Pakistan did everything well and we didn’t."
"These are the mistakes that we need to rectify against New Zealand if we have to win against them. Forget how the New Zealand team is, focus on how India play their cricket, what India need to do. India will have to bat well in the first six-overs and have to start well in bowling,” Harbhajan concluded.
