Can a Shivam Dube-Sanju Samson catalyst help India against spin in the Caribbean?

Amidst the discussions over India’s squad for the T20 World Cup with skipper Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in the press conference on Thursday, two subtle indicators from the captain stood out.

With the shortcomings at the 2022 T20 World Cup before him, Rohit and India have chosen to bolster their areas of strength and back it to the hilt this time. The Indian captain was keen on shoring up the middle-order composition. “We wanted someone in the middle overs to come and play a role where he can play freely without worrying who is bowling. Based on that, we picked Shivam Dube,” he said.

Rohit also batted for the inclusion of four spinners in the 15, the intention behind which he said he would divulge on the eve of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign opener against Ireland in Nassau.

(L-R) In Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel, India have picked four spinners in their T20 World Cup squad. (PTI)

Middle-order batting and spin will undoubtedly forge the yin and yang at the marquee tournament, which will be played across the unfamiliar turfs in the USA and the dry, spin-friendly conditions in the Caribbean. While India play their group games in the US and are likely to prevail into the Super 8s in the West Indies, where the competition will stiffen immensely, spin will invariably forge the crux of the discussion with both bat and ball.

The lack of form of the two seamers save Jasprit Bumrah also means the Men in Blue would be open to the possibility of playing three spinners with Hardik Pandya as the third pacer. The luxury of two all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja makes it a viable option.

But can India simultaneously be braver with the bat too?

In all likelihood, the inaugural champions are heading towards a batting order which is not so different from the top-six that featured in the semifinal defeat against England in the previous edition, the only exception being Yashasvi Jaiswal replacing KL Rahul at the top. Assuming Virat Kohli to continue to three, the likely order reads: Rohit-Jaiswal-Kohli-Suryakumar-Pant-Hardik-Jadeja.

Given the evolving scoring patterns and the spin-talk fuelled by the captain himself, it becomes non-negotiable to have proven/in-form spin dismantlers in the middle overs as is the growing fad across other leading teams. South Africa boasts of Heinrich Klaasen, West Indies will maximise Nicholas Pooran’s presence while defending champions England will pose the likes of Liam Livingstone, skipper Buttler and Will Jacks.

It is here where the challenge begins for India.

Fitting in Dube below five takes him away from the very role that elevated him to the World Cup ahead of a more proven finisher like Rinku Singh. The southpaw’s best was unleashed by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL by deploying him as the middle-overs aggressor, irrespective of the match situation at positions 3, 4 and 5. Meanwhile, the tall left-hander cannot be slotted at no. 5 if India go with Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper in the slot.

MI vs KKR IPL 2024: Mumbai Indians player Rohit Sharma with Kolkata Knight Riders player Rinku Singh during a practice session ahead of IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (PTI)

Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja, who also bat higher up in the IPL as opposed to their no.6-7 slots for India, have been under a cloud while negotiating spin, with their death-over accumulation also under scrutiny.

Therefore, a Pant-Hardik-Jadeja union in the middle overs is unlikely to provide any radical changes to India’s gameplay in the Caribbean. Instead, India could punt on two in-form spin neutralisers Sanju Samson and Dube to forge an attacking trio alongside Suryakumar Yadav.

While Samson and Dube’s inconsistent returns in Indian colours over the years do not warrant instant reliability, India could be open to utilising their characteristic metiers in favourable conditions.

Since the 2020 IPL season, Samson has built a name for himself as a prolific batter against spin. In six innings against spin this season, Samson has accumulated 142 runs at a 149.47 strike rate without being dismissed. Dube, on the other hand, has scored 69 off 39 deliveries against spin with a 169.23 SR this season.

Given the options in India’s squad, Samson and Dube are the only two batters who have run the middle-overs show with a 150-plus strike rate since 2020 in the IPL.

Despite playing higher up in the order, their death-overs batting also catches up with Pant, Jadeja and Hardik – all of whom have scored over 240 runs in the phase with strike rates ranging between 180 to 182.

Samson and Dube also top the charts with their six-hitting efficacy, smashing a six every 5.3 and 5.5 deliveries against spin in the IPL over the last four seasons, while proving equally effective at the death too.

While Hardik, Pant and Jadeja have earned more international experience, their T20I returns in the middle-overs and the death, in general, have been worse or just at par with their corresponding IPL numbers. All three batters have failed to strike above 130 in T20Is since 2020, a worrying pattern they have carried over from the IPL.

A Samson-Dube catalyst therefore has its uses on the table. The focus now shifts to the Indian management to see how they will reinvent from past mistakes and unlock their true potential in the middle-overs.

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