Control the Controllables: India’s T20 World Cup Moment of Truth

 

Indian team during their practice session at Chepauk Stadium. Image: Gargi Raut, Revsportz

Control the controllables. Don’t try to think about things that are not in your hands. Easier said than done, but that’s what India have to do. You can’t undo Ahmedabad. You can’t undo the negative net run rate. What you can do is win big and win every game from here on. Then let things pan out as they will. Trying to overthink or worry about other results won’t help; it will only impact India’s efforts against Zimbabwe and West Indies.

Whoever watched the West Indies-Zimbabwe game will know how Shimron Hetmyer did not allow Sikandar Raza to settle. His first over went for 26, and that’s when the game was done. Yes, Hetmyer was dropped twice, and one of them was an easy chance. But he backed himself and did not go into a shell or try to anchor the innings. He chanced his arm, and it worked for him. We have heard a lot about fearless cricket. India need to play fearless cricket. Not over-aggressive, for that is a result of fear. Not defensive either, for that too is about fear. Balance is the key, and I still believe that with the right balance, India can make the semi-finals.

In all this, stay off social media for the next five days. If you read the comments as a player, you will soon be told how bad you are. According to social media, everyone who isn’t playing is actually a better player. Those outside the 15 are all match-winners, and those in the squad don’t deserve a place. This is the beauty of social media. The pasture is always greener on the other side, and almost everything is a conspiracy — Gautam Gambhir deliberately dropping someone, or Suryakumar Yadav playing politics with someone.

In all honesty, such nonsense does not need to be followed. The India team will know they shot themselves in the foot in Ahmedabad. Now they need to put in two standout performances to climb out of this hole. Every player needs to step up, and may I say, it is possible.

This is where bold calls need to be taken. How much have the Zimbabwe team faced someone like Varun Chakaravarthy? Or, for that matter, Kuldeep Yadav? Can you unleash both in tandem with Jasprit Bumrah and put Zimbabwe on the mat? Can you go for the kill and pick up wickets? Yet again, it comes to mind: what does the think tank believe can be done? How can you not just win, but win big? How do you play cricket of the very highest quality?

Sport has its own way of asking questions. That’s how it always is. Good players, and very good players, inevitably find answers to these questions. India need to do so and make a statement. Leaders like Surya, Hardik Pandya and Bumrah need to hold it together, while every player needs to play as if their lives depend on these two games. Let India do something special, for that’s what they need at the moment — and may I say, they are more than capable.

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Also Read Highlights from India’s practice session: Rinku Singh flies home due to family emergency

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