India faces a tough choice for their opening T20 World Cup match against Ireland on June 5 (Wednesday) at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The dilemma lies in selecting between the medium pace of Shivam Dube and the left-arm spin of Axar Patel. As the much-anticipated tie looms large, let us look at the factors that might influence this decision:
Rohit Sharma’s India faces a dilemma!
Nassau Cricket Stadium conditions
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium seems to offer early swing and seam movement. The drop-in pitch, that has been transferred from Adelaide, has its fair share of difficulties for batters early on. While Dube doesn’t bowl within the powerplay, his recent form in the warm-up match against Bangladesh is promising. His gentle pace yielded two wickets in three overs.
Although the newly-built stadium also seen some spin for the tweakers, Dube bowled well in the warmup fixture. Moreover, the square boundaries on the ground is quite big in dimensions, where Dube’s gentle speed might be difficult for oppositions to hit over the ropes.
Indian cricket
All-round expertise for both Dube and Axar
Both Dube and Axar offers a two-pronged attack. Dube’s power-hitting can bolster the middle-order, irrespective of his recent dip in his batting form. Axar, meanwhile, is a formidable batter himself, having done well in the opportunities he got. He can even act as a floater in the middle.
Pace or Spin?
Axar Patel’s inclusion adds depth to India’s already formidable spin attack with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav all but certain to play. While Axar provides batting depth, playing three frontline spinners seems unlikely. Another consideration is the number of pace bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are almost guaranteed selections, but Mohammed Siraj adds another dimension. Including all three pacers might force out both Dube and Axar from the playing XI.
Given India already have two left-arm spin options in Kuldeep and Jadeja, adding Axar might feel surplus. This is why Dube’s chances of slotting in the team is more likely than his spin counterpart.
Predicted India Playing XI vs Ireland
- 1. Rohit Sharma
- 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
- 3. Virat Kohli
- 4. Suryakumar Yadav
- 5. Rishabh Pant (WK)
- 6. Shivam Dube
- 7. Hardik Pandya
- 8. Ravindra Jadeja
- 9. Kuldeep Yadav
- 10. Jasprit Bumrah
- 11. Arshdeep Singh
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