India posted 209 for 9 in their 20 overs – a strong batting effort against Namibia in their T20 World Cup encounter in Delhi, driven largely by the top order and late pressure from the lower middle order. Scorecard IND vs NAM T20 World Cup
They attacked for 86 in the over and ran out in the first six overs. Then came peace. Between 8 and 12, India managed just 20 runs from 30 deliveries. That was when the Namibian spinners – captain Gerhard Erasmus and Bernard Scholtz – tightened the screws and dragged the contest back.
The pair combined for eight overs to return excellent figures of 5 for 61. Erasmus, whose clever side-arm variations evoked memories of Kedar Jadhav, finished with an excellent 4 for 20 – the best figures by a spinner at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in T20Is.
WHO IS USMAN TARIQ?
More importantly, Erasmus may have offered India a preview of what awaits them on Sunday: Pakistan’s Usman Tariq.
Tariq has been in the headlines for the past few months because of his unconventional behavior. The off-spinner, who has a hypermobile (bi-joint) elbow that prevents him from fully straightening his arm, a trait once associated with Muttiah Muralitharan, has taken wickets consistently in T20 cricket.
What makes him especially dangerous is his diagonal run and excessive two- to three-second pause in the crease, which completely disrupts the batter’s timing and rhythm. Add to that his ability to throw deceptive carrom balls, slippery arm balls and subtle drift at a modest 75-80km/h, and he becomes an impressive enigmatic mite capable of forcing even a set batsman into clumsy errors and ill-timed shots.
And Tariq has never played against India before.
But back to Delhi, where Erasmus held a masterclass in disruption.
India were cruising at 104 for 1 at the end of the seventh over. Ishan Kishan was in a destructive mood, sending the Namibian seamer hunting for leather and strewing the stands with clean strokes.
Erasmus immediately changed his tone. With the first ball of his spell – a half-tracker launched around the wicket – he tempted Ishan into a mis-pull that was safely pulled at deep mid-wicket.
From there Erasmus leaned into his variations. At one point he tried to drive the ball so far beyond the crease – practically from behind the umpire – that Rod Tucker called it a dead ball when the bowler was momentarily out of his line of sight. Erasmus then continued to push the limit, releasing the ball from deep within his crease but making sure it stayed in the referee’s peripheral vision to stay within the bounds of the law. Screengrab by JioHotstar
Scholtz then pounced with his orthodox left-arm spin, beating Suryakumar Yadav in flight and leaving him stumped for 12. The India captain, who had shown signs of rhythm on a tricky Mumbai pitch a few days ago, danced down the track but was turned by a turn and a drift.
In the 12th over, Erasmus struck again. Bowling before reaching the traditional position, he cheated Tilak Varma, who stretched to long-on.
India seemed to regain control as Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya put on a brisk 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket in just 39 deliveries. Yet Erasmus came back to break the momentum again, dismissing Hardik in the 19th over with another clever round-arm variation.
India stumbled from 205 for 4 to finish at 209 for 9, managing just 25 runs in the last four overs and losing five wickets. What should have been a late surge turned into a scramble.
SIDE SHOULDER, HIGH SHOULDER
The difference was Erasmus and his unorthodox craft. On a ground renowned for its small boundaries, he was smart enough to avoid bowling into the arc of the Indian power-hitters. By varying his release points — alternating between upright and lateral trajectories — he denied batters a consistent line to line him up. The flatter, more slippery side-arm deliveries in particular proved difficult for even India’s cleanest hitters to get under. Screengrab by JioHotstar
Yes, India posted an impressive total. But they will need to be sharper against Pakistan on Sunday, especially on the spin-friendly surfaces at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
India travel to Colombo on Friday and will have just one day to acclimatise, likely with a single practice session on the eve of the highly anticipated clash.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have been based in Colombo since the start of the tournament. Although they played their first two matches – against the Netherlands and the USA – at the Sinhalese Sports Club, they are already familiar with Sri Lanka’s conditions.
They also have an impressive rotating arsenal. Alongside Usman Tariq, Pakistan can call on Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and the all-rounder Saim Ayub, who can be as effective as any of his teammates in green in his time.
India may have crossed 200 in Delhi. They may have to earn every run in Colombo.
India needs to be careful.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
February 12, 2026
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