Team India’s campaign at the 2019 World Cup came to a grinding halt on Wednesday evening.
In the first semi-final, India – pegged as favourites to win the title alongside hosts England – were blown away by New Zealand; in pursuit of a modest target of 240, they were bowled out for 221 to end up being losing semi-finalist for the second event running.
New Zealand’s win at the Old Trafford on Wednesday meant they had earned a right to fight for a World Cup title once again, after losing to Australia in the 2015 edition.
Doff Your Hats to New Zealand
First up, one has to doff the hat to the New Zealand players; they had a par score – even possibly a below-par score – to defend, and therefore had to up their game and make it hard for India. Their new ball bowlers did just that; the intensity – and the discipline – with which Trent Boult and Matt Henry bowled their first spells was clear indication that Team India’s run-chase wasn’t going to be as easy as it was expected to be with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul all sent packing by the fourth over.
Those three early blows – Rohit dismissed for 1, Rahul dismissed for 1 and Virat dismissed for 1 – were stabs at the heart of Team India’s batting; before the semi-final clash, Rohit, Rahul and Virat had between them scored a total of 1449 runs – which accounted for 65.1% of the runs scored by Team India’s batsmen in the competition.
Runs were hard to come by in the early overs, and the immediate need of the hour for Team India was to consolidate. Hence, Team India crawled to 24 or 4 at the end of the first powerplay – the lowest first powerplay score in the competition.
Even Lockie Ferguson, introduced into the attack after extended first spells for Boult and Henry, did not give the Indian batsmen any freebies.
Rishabh Pant’s Immaturity Hurts Team India Badly
Team India’s consolidation happened through a 47-run partnership between Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya. The pair had done the difficult bits, had stitched together a partnership and Team India was clawing their way back into the contest.
But once again – for the umpteenth time in his short ODI career, Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away. When the need of the hour was for the pair to extend that partnership to something substantial, Pant – frustrated by a sequence of four dot balls bowled to him – attempted an ugly heave, only to pick out the fielder patrolling the boundary.
That was inexperience. It was lack of maturity. Lack of understanding of the situation, and lack of game awareness in general. It was poor temperament.
Questions need to be asked – of the team management and the selectors – about Rishabh Pant’s selection, and if he was the right man for the number four position. Not just in the semi-final – when one can point to his dismissal being a major factor in India losing the game, but right through the World Cup 2019, Pant has been very reckless and has not put a big-enough price on his wicket.
In the context of the World Cup 2019 though, the strategy to have Pant bat at number four may have actually cost Team India a shot at the title. It is a harsh statement. But individuals who play sport at the international level are expected to do the job.
Players are cut for certain roles; among other things, they’re expected to work hard in preparation for those roles, and they’re expected to read the game better and therefore apply better. Pant’s World Cup 2019 campaign was one-dimensional, and a disappointing one.
The middle order, particularly the number four position, was a huge concern for Team India heading into the World Cup 2019. And it is precisely that position that has cost Team India the title. It is startling to note, but Team India are the only side in the World Cup 2019 whose batsmen batting at number four or five did not score a half-century. That stat by itself tells the story.
The irony about the entire number four discussion is that in the semi-final, it was a batsman batting at number four - Ross Taylor - who worked hard, scored the ugly runs, and ended up being New Zealand's top-scorer. Taylor batted for 130 minutes, faced 90 balls and only hit three boundaries and a six in his 74. He was dismissed in the 48th over - that too courtesy a direct hit from the outfield.
In contrast, Team India's number four gifted his wicket away in the 23rd over!
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