Hour of reckoning

Dubai, October 30

Virat Kohli will face a strong test, which may well define his legacy as a T20 captain, when India take on a street-smart New Zealand in a do-or-die T20 World Cup Super 12 game here tomorrow.

Having endured a nightmare last Sunday against Pakistan, a match they would like to forget in a hurry, India have a lot of course-correction to do against New Zealand, especially in getting the roles assigned to the players right.

It won’t be easy against a quality New Zealand team which will come hard at India, after they too lost their first match to Pakistan. New Zealand’s bowlers, especially Tim Southee and Trent Boult, have been a nemesis for the Indians in big games, including the 50-over World Cup semifinals in 2019 and the World Test Championship this year. However, their soft underbelly is batting as Kane Williamson is still not hundred per cent and Martin Guptill has also had a foot injury. Their batting is effective without being flamboyant, although Devon Conway is a flashy batter. And herein lies India’s best chance. However, to take this chance, India’s bowlers need to implement their gameplans perfectly, something they couldn’t do against Pakistan.

Pandya, Bhuvi

Even more important will be the execution of plans by two players on whom the team management has invested heavily — a half-fit Hardik Pandya and an out-of-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have been the weak links in this Indian team. Pandya, who has not been the player opponents feared since suffering a back injury, is playing to save his India career. The fact that he hasn’t been exactly truthful about the status of his bowling fitness has been exposed, and his trying to roll his arm over at nets is an indication of his desperation. His IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians, is expected to put him back in the general pool at the next IPL auction — time is running out for him. — TNS, Agencies

3Rohit Sharma has been dismissed thrice each by Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner in T20s.

4th Mohammed Shami has dismissed Kane Williamson four times in T20s, giving away 49 runs in 37 balls.

14Teams batting second have won 14 of the 18 T20s played in Dubai this year.

8Until 2016, New Zealand had never lost a T20I to India. Since then, they’ve lost 8 of 11.

Form guide
India: LLLWW
New Zealand: LWLWL
*Recent last five completed matches

IPL rockstars face early exit

India’s presence till the final stages of the tournament is not only an emotional necessity for Indian fans, but it is also a requirement for the tournament to retain its commercial vigour. India’s IPL multi-millionaires are facing the real danger of an early exit from the tournament. It may be noted, though, that India won their only T20 World Cup before the IPL came into existence. Pakistan are already on six points after winning all their tough games (against India, New Zealand and Afghanistan) in the first week of the Super 12 stage, and they are expected to steamroll Namibia and Scotland to finish on top in Group 2. This leaves India and Kiwis in a virtual shootout for the second spot.

Kohli roasts ‘shameless trolls’ who targeted Shami

dubai: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli today strongly condemned the “spineless trolls” who attacked Mohammed Shami over his religion after the team lost to Pakistan in their T20 World Cup opening match last Sunday.”Attacking someone over their religion is the most, I would say, pathetic thing that a human being can do,” skipper Kohli said today. PTI