India Primed to Unleash Batting Prowess Against USA in T20 World Cup

India's batting stars are eager to break free from the constraints of the much-criticized drop-in pitch and unleash their full potential against an impressive but inexperienced USA team in their T20 World Cup group league match in New York on June 12. India, classified as A1, needs just one more win to secure their Super Eight berth. Despite the inconsistent nature of the Nassau County track, they are determined to avoid a repeat of their match against Pakistan, where they lost their last seven wickets for a mere 28 runs.

Against USA, India's approach could be high-risk, similar to their strategy against Pakistan, but with potentially higher rewards. While their dreams of representing India remain unfulfilled, a spirited group of Indian Americans will take the field against their country of birth. Players like Saurabh Netravalkars and Harmeet Singhs will once again aim to be the proverbial David against the Goliaths of the game.

Although the pitch has significantly reduced the gap between teams, the USA, a diverse mix of eight Indians, two Pakistanis, a West Indian, a New Zealander, a South African, and a Dutch player, may find the gulf with India too wide to bridge. They have not received significant airtime on American channels, nor have major newspapers devoted much attention to them, even after their Super Over victory over Pakistan. However, Wednesday could be the day when their adopted country takes note of their performance.

Monank Patel, Harmeet, Netravalkar, Jessy Singh, and Noshtush Kenjige all have their own Indian stories to tell. While India boasts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant in its ranks, the USA team's presence adds a touch of endearment to the match.

It's not every day that one gets the opportunity to bowl at Kohli and Sharma or face Bumrah, even if it's far from a pleasant experience. But it's an experience nonetheless, and one that will last a lifetime. For India, it will be their last match in the 'Big Apple' extension, and one where they wouldn't mind batting first. If India bowls first, there's a high chance that USA might not be able to reach the three-figure mark against Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja.

There will be some beautiful and emotional subplots as well. If Netravalkar gets a chance to bowl to his former Mumbai teammate Suryakumar Yadav, with whom he played in Mumbai U-15, Ranji, and Vijay Hazare Trophy, it will be a special moment. "It will be an emotional moment to play against India and especially Surya as we go back a long way," Netravalkar said recently.

For the two left-arm spinners Harmeet and Kenjige, the challenge of trying to keep Rishabh Pant quiet will be on a completely different level. Both Harmeet and Kenjige will try to maintain dart-like accuracy, but that could well be dismantled by Pant, who is sure to use his feet.

For Ali Khan, his extra pace and the bounce he extracts from even benign surfaces would certainly provoke Rohit to use his pull shot frequently. There's Nitish Kumar, who could be cheeky with his shot selection and prove to be a thorn in India's flesh.

In the first game, India's weakest link was Shivam Dube. The Chennai Super Kings' most valued 'Impact Player' is finding it tough on two-paced tracks where the ball is gripping and coming late onto the bat. But unlike tactician-par-excellence Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who could bench him during CSK's bowling in the IPL, national skipper Rohit Sharma doesn't have such luxury and needs to hide him in areas of the field where the ball is expected to travel less. Dube is a monstrous hitter of spinners on good flat decks, and his military medium seam-up stuff does give the Indian skipper cushion to maneuver with the bowling combination. But in a format like T20, the team management, which asked for Dube at the expense of Rinku Singh, would want him to come good. Else, there is Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 15, who is a way more rounded batter than the big-bodied Mumbaikar.

Two wrist spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, should be given some game time or else they might just enter the Super Eights a bit undercooked in the Caribbean where the pitches will be more spin-friendly.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #India, #USA, #Cricket, #Drop-inPitch