India’s Varun Chakaravarthy with his teammates (ANI Photo) As India prepares for the Super 8 knockout match against West Indies in Kolkata, former batting coach Sanjay Bangar has underlined the need for discipline with the ball against a Caribbean side known for fearless pull play.The contest revives memories of their World Cup T20 2016 semi-final encounter in Mumbai and carries similarly high stakes. Analyzing the challenge on JioHotstar, Bangar pointed to the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket and the attacking mindset of the West Indies batsmen.
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“In T20 cricket, you have to be open to hitting because the batsmen are going to come at you hard. There are times when they can start briskly and be 60 for no loss. But with this aggressive style and focus on boundaries, they can quickly slip to 84 for 4, in the space of 20 odd runs.”India will look to veteran batsmen like Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy to curb the power-hitting threat and seize the momentum through timely breakthroughs. Bangar emphasized that clarity of execution will be crucial.“Hence, I feel the Indian team should stick to their bowling plans and use their wicket options smartly. The use of Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah will be extremely critical against them,” Bangar added.He also offered technical advice for Chakaravarthy, who saw a slight dip in returns during the Super 8 phase, especially after his spell against Zimbabwe.“I thought he was a bit short against the Zimbabwean batsmen. Most of his shots were back on length and a lot of the boundaries he got came from that area. So I think it would be better for him to push the ball a bit more and try to hit the stumps. That’s been one of Varun Chakaravarthy’s strengths; if a batsman misses, he’s either trapped or leg.”Bangar further elaborated on how Chakaravarthy could face the in-form Shimron Hetmyer.“Hetmyer tries to target the long-on or mid-wicket region, with a large proportion of his runs coming in that region. So, throwing those googlies from the off-stump to the fourth-stump line, a bit wider outside the off-line, would mean that when he tries to go over the line, there’s always a wicket opportunity for Varun Chakaravarthy,” Bangar added.Hetmyer was West Indies’ standout performer, amassing 221 runs in six innings at an average of 44.20 and a strike rate of 182.64, including two half-centuries. Meanwhile, Chakaravarthy remains India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 11 scalps at an average of just over 13, despite a quieter Super 8 stretch.With a semi-final berth at stake, India’s ability to mix patience with precision in their bowling plans could determine the outcome of this high-pressure encounter.
