After musical chairs, time to face the music

Having Unsuccessfully Experimented For 10 Months With Fresh. Faces & An Ultra-Aggressive Approach, India Now Have No. Option But To Let Senior Batters Revert To Tried & Tested Ways.

- Arani.Basu

Dubai: Team India had arrived in Dubai for the Asia Cup to gather the final pieces of their team combination for the upcoming T20 World Cup. They have left with a few more puzzles to solve. The various bilateral series over the last 10 months were meant to alter the brand of cricket they played in the T20 format and bring in fresh faces.

By the time India exited the tournament earlier this week, they were taking a couple of steps back. All the enterprising experiments may culminate in a return to the tried and tested brand of cricket.

The top order was the biggest concern two weeks ago. As it stands, captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are the only batters to have got a decent amount of deliveries in the middle.

“My role in the team is to take responsibility as per the situation and also take the scoring rate higher.

If I can take 10-15 balls to settle down, then I can accelerate. I was going away from my template and desperately trying to do things which are not in my game,” said Virat Kohli during a conversation with Rohit on bcci.tv on Thursday after his century against Afghanistan.