India will likely head into next year’s home T20 World Cup as strong favourites, as both defending champions and a team that has looked unbeatable at times in the format. After dominating Australia to take a 2-1 series lead with a 48-run lead, they sent a statement of intent to Australia, who are amongst the contenders to take the trophy away from India.
After watching Australia’s gameplan against India’s biggest weapons in this series, Ravichandran Ashwin shared what he thought would be the key for any team wanting to beat this Indian unit. Surprisingly, it wasn’t arguably the best T20 bowler in the world who he saw as the key.
Speaking on his Youtube channel, Ashwin named the two players he believes hold they key to any team wishing to stop the Indians.
“If any team wants to win the T20 World Cup in India, they will have to master two factors. I was saying until now that handling Jasprit Bumrah. But I will say right now, the way I have seen Tim David handle Varun Chakravarthy, I am thinking teams will gun for Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy if they have to get past India,” explained the now-retired spin bowler.
Australia's ploy against Abhishek Sharma
Ashwin had broken down how Tim David had attacked Chakravarthy during the match in Hobart, and now explained how Australia’s new-ball bowlers stayed away from Abhishek Sharma’s swing arc to ensure they kept a cap on his scoring through the powerplay. It was a strangely scruffy knock from the Indian opener who has been in top notch, and certainly one analysts for the World Cup bound teams would be watching with interest.
{{/usCountry}}Ashwin had broken down how Tim David had attacked Chakravarthy during the match in Hobart, and now explained how Australia’s new-ball bowlers stayed away from Abhishek Sharma’s swing arc to ensure they kept a cap on his scoring through the powerplay. It was a strangely scruffy knock from the Indian opener who has been in top notch, and certainly one analysts for the World Cup bound teams would be watching with interest.
{{/usCountry}}“Against Abhishek Sharma, they will see this plan Australia has used against him in this series, and they will imbibe that. Whoever is coming for the World Cup will prepare similarly against Varun Chakravarthy because that will give them the leverage in that World Cup,” explained Ashwin.
India didn’t rely on these two players to help them to the win at the Carrara Oval, with multiple players in both fields helping the team earn the big win. Player of the match honours went to Axar Patel, who finished the first innings before providing two crucial early wickets to hamper the chase.