New Delhi, Sep 12 — Afghanistan could deploy veteran off-spin bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nabi with the new ball in Sunday's opening T20I game to target India's heavy left-handed top order, warned former off-spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh.
A significant part of the build-up to the three-game series has been how the Indian batting line-up could counter the threat posed by Nabi, ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, especially in the power play and middle overs. Bowling Nabi upfront also depends on whether India stick with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to bat alongside Abhishek Sharma or bring back Sanju Samson.
"I am saying that before Rashid Khan as well, if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma play as openers, it is possible that Mohammad Nabi can be seen bowling in the first over. That can be a strategy or plan from them, as he’s an off-spinner and he will definitely be given a chance. We saw in the T20 World Cup, which we won, Abhishek Sharma was having a tough time in the beginning," Sarandeep told IANS in a select virtual interaction organised by FanCode, the official digital broadcasters of the three-game series.
He also reminded of how Abhishek had a rough time against off-spinners in this year’s T20 World Cup, something which Afghanistan can look to exploit via their crafty spin troika. "Everyone began bowling off-spin to him and were able to get Abhishek Sharma out often. But I feel both of them will start hitting from the very first ball. Ishan Kishan will fare sensibly against them, but I think more than Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi will play a role, especially if he bowls with the new ball.
“We will have to see if Rashid Khan has a strategy or plan to counter them, as he has been playing IPL for so many years. He has played a lot on Indian soil and has shared the dressing room with the Indian players and has got to know each other very well. I think we will see them with a great bowling plan for him tomorrow. There is no doubt that Nabi will bowl the first over against both those openers."
Sarandeep also believes that Afghanistan's extensive experience across global T20 leagues makes them a formidable opponent to take on the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team. "I said the same thing a while ago. Their spin bowling attack, 6-7 players in the middle order, pacers and batters play T20 cricket worldwide. They play in big leagues and have a great experience of playing T20s. Rashid Khan will definitely play a big role in bowling against the Indian middle order.
Highlighting the conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Sarandeep expected high-scoring encounters could be the norm in three games, while adding that India should look to play Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel as their spin bowling combination.
"The way Delhi Premier League games happened sometime ago and how Arun Jaitley Stadium wickets usually behave, it supports a lot of batting. We have seen big runs coming off the pitches in the T20 World Cup and domestic season. As far as spinners are concerned, India always likes to go with the all-rounders.
"Ravi Bishnoi was in the scheme of things, but was not able to perform as well. Varun Chakaravarthy is a regular spinner; Washington Sundar and Axar Patel can bat and bowl as well. I feel it will be a good combination for India, as there should be variations as well. There should be a left-arm spinner and an off-spinner, and India will definitely go with them," he added.
Turning to the fast bowling unit, Sarandeep recalled how he met Jasprit Bumrah during his recovery from a left knee injury at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, and the big boost the current T20 World Cup holders, India, get from his return.
"It is a big advantage for India to have Bumrah back because you get a confidence boost. I was taking a high-performance camp at the Centre of Excellence and was even there with the North Zone team as their coach in the Duleep Trophy games. I saw Bumrah doing his fitness work there.
“He was becoming fully fit and was bowling his heart out. Whenever he comes, he bowls his heart out. He never plays if he is not fit, as he comes back when he is fully fit. He fared well in the Centre of Excellence practice games and played well in the match simulations and looked fully fit. I was meeting him there every day. Bumrah being fully fit and his arrival in the Indian team is a big boost for us as other fast bowlers start looking better."
Addressing pace additions following Harshit Rana's being ruled out due to a fresh thigh strain, Sarandeep highlighted Yash Thakur's earned progression through domestic and international shadow tours. Nagpur-based Thakur made his T20I debut in July against Zimbabwe and picked up two wickets in as many games.
"Yash Thakur had a very good time with Punjab Kings in the IPL, but when Vidarbha won the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he played really well. He has been performing well in domestic cricket over the past 2-3 years and has earned the opportunity as a result.
“He performed well in Sri Lanka in the ‘A’ games and then in the Zimbabwe tour. He got a chance here because Harshit is currently unfit. Hopefully, he can make his place here in the Indian team. We have a lot of injury concerns. The advantage here is that the fast bowler who is fit will get more opportunities."
Analysing Shreyas Iyer's task as India’s captain to get some winning momentum for his team after winning just three out of ten games, Sarandeep pointed to tactical adjustments and managing bowler workloads during fast-paced situations as key challenges for him.
"In T20, it’s really difficult to tell which areas he should improve because the game ends so soon that you don't know when it began. But there are some crucial points regarding the situation of the game like the bowling changes which are very important. Should the spinners be in the circle or not?
“Also, who will bowl your final bowlers as Harshit Rana is not there now to do that and Yash Thakur has come in. Nitish Reddy is coming back after injury and where he fits in is important. Then, making crucial bowling changes at the right time is very important. Your batting line-up is set and you have all the batting orders. But when you go to the field, you have to know who will bowl at what phase of the game.
"Even we know Jasprit Bumrah is one of the world's finest fast bowlers in all three formats, but still he is coming after his injury. So it might take some time for him to get into a rhythm, because we expect Jasprit Bumrah to come and start taking our wickets. But he still needs time, as he’s coming back from his injury.
“So it might be possible that Jasprit Bumrah doesn't take wickets at the start, but your other bowlers should be ready and Yash Thakur should also do well. You already have Ashdeep Singh who always comes and takes wickets for you. The main thing is how you rotate Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel. They have so much experience and won so many matches for you. So how to rotate these three spinners will be a very big challenge for Shreyas Iyer," he concluded.