Will Mumbai cricket see a turnaround soon?

Unlike in Tests and ODIs where they are ranked first and second respectively, in T20s, India trails some way behind at No 5

India versus West Indies at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday was among the best T20 matches I’ve seen. Played at breakneck speed, there were enough big hits to bring spectators to their feet, and finally, a win for the home team to leave fans hoarse from full-throated cheering.

India's KL Rahul celebrates his half-century during the third and final T20 match between India and West Indies at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. (ANI)

The contest was not as one-sided as the scorecard might suggest. West Indies did not throw in the towel even after India had scored 240. Skipper Kieron Pollard, a local favourite because of his Mumbai Indians connection, kept the contest alive with some terrific hitting.

Making Pollard captain was a smart move. He knows Indian conditions and players extremely well because of his IPL experience. But even more, I think Pollard was looking for a fresh challenge at this stage of his career, which has come through the captaincy. But all told, the evening belonged to India’s top three batsmen. The incandescent strokeplay of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli – both beautiful and brutal – dimmed even the zillion wattage floodlights at the stadium.

I can’t think of another Indian batsman who hits sixes as frequently and effortlessly as Sharma: not even Kapil Dev, Sandeep Patil, or Virender Sehwag. Perhaps Yuvraj Singh, but only in white-ball cricket. What a year this has been for Sharma! On the other hand, batting success has come unabated to Kohli since 2015. Yet, what is fascinating is how he has developed as a power-hitter in T20s this year, as evidenced at Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai. Kohli’s deep desire to be the best in every format keeps him evolving. His hunger to succeed, openly manifest, has also impacted the mindset in the dressing room. Individually and collectively, none of the players want to lose.

However, unlike in Tests and ODIs where they are ranked first and second respectively, in T20s, India trails some way behind at No 5, much to the chagrin of home supporters and the surprise of aficionados.

Remember, India had won the inaugural T20 World Championship in 2007. Since 2008, the country has been home to IPL, the biggest, most lucrative T20 tournament in the world that has thrown up wonderful talent, not just for India but the world.

So what makes the team still lag in this format?

I can think of two reasons. One, the format itself is highly unpredictable and topsy-turvy results are hardly uncommon. But equally, it seemed in recent times that the right balance and composition was missing despite the talent on hand.

Whether the right combination has been found is moot. I see some more experimentation ahead given the intense competition for places currently. For any slot (barring two to three players in the different formats), there are five to six options. Those not at the top of their game will find themselves in the rejects’ heap. I’ll take the liberty to juxtapose the Wankhede victory with how Mumbai cricket is faring currently. Now and then in these columns, I have talked about Mumbai’s incomparable cricket tradition, sometimes in anguish as the team struggled to maintain its glorious legacy. We saw the number of players from the city in the national squad dwindle but happily, there seems to be a turnaround this year. Sharma, Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dubey are in one or more formats. Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur have also been consistently on the radar of the selectors.

The big focus has been on young Prithvi Shaw, who has had his travails and lost his place in the Test team after a sensational start. In the first match of the Ranji Trophy season, on the same day India beat the West Indies at Wankhede, Shaw struck a sizzling double century to help Mumbai clinch victory over Vadodra. This does not automatically win him a place in the India team, but certainly gets him back on the radar. Shaw is now faced with a twin challenge. He must regain his opener’s position, which will not be easy. Even more importantly, if he does win his place back, he must ensure not to surrender it again.