The complications of going spin-heavy under lights in Adelaide

WILL HE, WON’T HE? CHAHAL

- Partha Bhaduri

Adelaide: India have some serious thinking to do on the spin-bowling front heading into the semifinal at the Adelaide Oval, where the pitch generally suits the slower bowlers.

Axar Patel has not always been up to par in this World Cup, giving away 40 runs from 3.2 overs against Zimbabwe and leaking 21 runs off a solitary over against Pakistan, although he had a good game against the Netherlands.

Axar, moreover, is not always required to bowl his full quota, so do India now need a specialist like leggie Yuzvendra Chahal? Australia is, after all, the land of leg-spin, and spinners who take the ball away from the right-handers are gradually coming into their own in this tournament.

So where does Chahal, who has been a mere passenger so far, figure in India’s plans? Or is the team content to beef up the batting instead with Axar’s presence?