New Delhi: Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that India are in a better position as compared to Pakistan in the batting department ahead of the marquee clash in Men’s T20 World Cup on October 23, saying that the Rohit Sharma-led side have four or five match winners who are in great form.
In less than three weeks, India and Pakistan will be up against each other in their tournament opener of the Super 12 stage in the T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
While India have players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav hitting form ahead of the showpiece event, Pakistan haven’t got much firepower with the bat apart from captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan with their middle order turning out to be a major weak link.
“Team India have had some good games against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and what the Indian team would be weighing up is that it is a more complete team, which is a team that is not dependent on just one or two individuals.”
“I feel, in the batting department, it’s clear that Pakistan is over-dependent on their top-order like Babar and Rizwan. Whereas the Indian team is not actually dependent on a couple of players. There are four or five match winners and they are in their prime form, so, from a batting perspective I feel the Indian team is in a better position,” said Bangar on the ‘Cricket Live’ show on Star Sports.
Bangar admitted that India are a little behind Pakistan in the speed clock, but feels that the side have enough skills in their hand to outclass their arch-rivals. “If you look at the bowling part, obviously, they have the speed, they always had that.”
“But the Indian team has the skill in the sense that if Deepak Chahar is fit in place of Jasprit Bumrah, you can clearly see his abilities to swing the ball upfront and also Arshdeep Singh, who is our own version of a left-hander that we were searching for.”
“So, he’s somebody who can swing the ball both ways. I feel that the Indian team is lacking in the speed department, but they more than makeup with the skill that they possess.”
India and Pakistan had recently faced each other twice in the Asia Cup in the UAE. While India won the league stage match, Pakistan emerged triumphant in the Super Four stage fixture. Bangar signed off by saying the lessons from recent matches against Pakistan will help India produce their best performances in Australia.
“No doubt about it. The spirits will be really high. I’m pretty sure that the Indian team must have taken a lot of positives from the way the batting has performed. Harsh lesson for the bowlers, but it’s good that it has come in this phase wherein there is time to think about it, re-draw their plans, go forward and play their best cricket in Australia.”
(IANS)
