World Cup T20: India humbled Pakistan again
The cobwebs of the mind that affected Ishan when he was dropped and later removed from the contract list seem to have been cleared. Ishan looks hungry and fearless but there is a method to his approach that makes a batsman stand out.Those who know Ishan intimately suggest that it has a lot to do with channeling his thoughts in the right direction, and that has made a big difference. He first returned to playing first-class cricket and wants to play Test cricket for India again.This Ranji season, he has played most of the matches for Jharkhand, which has helped him regain the basics of his game. This was followed by his wins in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy which brought him back into contention. It helped Ishan’s cause that Shubman Gill’s T20 form dipped and Sanju Samson became very inconsistent with the bat.It’s not like Ishan isn’t a serious threat with the bat in his ‘first innings’. Let’s not forget that in the 2023 Asia Cup at SSC, he scored a brilliant 82 against Pakistan after a top-order wobble in a game that was eventually swept. He was there for India’s ODI World Cup as well, but once he was dropped from the playing eleven, things went south for him very quickly. Sunday’s 40-ball 77 wasn’t just a case of a good day at the office, there was a lot of thought and hard work behind it. The main difference between the two Ishanas – the one from 2023 and the current version 2.0 – is that she is more deliberate in her approach. “I worked a lot on my offside game to get them to suit me in my strong area. Premadasa is a big ground and the intention was to hit the gaps and try to get two runs,” Ishan explained how careful his planning was.Captain Surya Kumar Yadav was also praised for South’s dynamic. “He has been batting the same way in the last few matches and domestic cricket. At 0-1, somebody had to take responsibility and he did it amazingly,” the captain said.
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While Ishan was quite brilliant in the way he batted, there were areas where Pakistan messed with him. Ishan has always been good against left-arm pacers, but skipper Salman Ali Agha opted to bowl a woefully out-of-form Shaheen Afridi in the second over after dismissing Abhishek with spin in the first over. In his show, Indian spin legend R Ashwin pointed out how it was crucial for Pakistan to use another spinner from the other end.“Someone like Saim Ayub could have easily been introduced in the second over against two left-handers (Ishan and Tilak Varma). Instead, they bowled Afridi, who did nothing to trouble Ishan,” Ashwin said.It was just the release Ishan was looking for as he used the pace bowler to hit some big hits and ease the pressure. Ishan took a heavy toll from Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed bowling him in the Powerplay.Pakistan coach Mike Hesson had an explanation for this, acknowledging that “Ishan is fearless”. “He’s capable of scoring at both ends of the field, he’s not just committed on the leg side. We know he’s incredibly strong there, but he can back. So if you have spin, especially in the Powerplay, that can be a challenge. In the form he’s in, Ishan has put a lot of pressure on our spinners and probably taken them off base,” Hesson said.The highlight of the match was the 46-ball 87-run partnership that Ishan shared with Tilak, who is also known as the destructive southpaw. But the two decided on opposite approaches on Sunday. While Ishan took 39 balls to score 76 in this partnership, Tilak contributed only 11 off seven.The Mumbai Indians left-hander later explained how they worked things out. “The ball went a bit better in the Powerplay and the intent Ishan showed was great. Even I felt like going for the shots but I decided otherwise because of his form. I told him, ‘Bhai tera lag raha hain (bro, you’re hitting it well) so go ahead, I’ll take care of the other end and put the ball in the gaps’,” said Man Tilak in the final before Man Tilak, who was not in the final for too long.It is the collective effort that has been the cornerstone of India’s success in T20 cricket in recent times. At some point, Abhishek too will be back in his element and with Ishan doing what he is, it will take a massive upset to stop India’s giant boat in this World Cup.