India's Cricket Team Intensifies Training to Tackle Sluggish Tournament Pitches
In response to the notably slower and more challenging pitches encountered during the tournament, particularly at Colombo's Premadasa Stadium, the Indian cricket team is implementing a strategic shift. The focus is now squarely on enhancing bowling performance and accelerating batting adaptation to these demanding conditions.
Rigorous Net Session Highlights New Approach
On Tuesday evening at Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla ground, India's pace and spin bowlers engaged in an intense, separate net session on either side of the centre square. For two full hours, the bowlers delivered with maximum intensity—a departure from the usual energy-conservation tactics seen during long tournaments. This rigorous practice, held just two days before the match against Namibia, placed the spotlight firmly on the bowling unit, which has often been overshadowed by the batters' headline-grabbing performances in recent weeks.
All players participated in this demanding session except Abhishek Sharma, who is still recovering from a stomach illness. The preparation, however, extends far beyond the upcoming Namibia game. The Indian team is clearly executing a distinct change in their overall approach, with attention to detail becoming paramount.
Focus Shifts to Colombo and the Pakistan Clash
With administrative and political hurdles cleared for the high-stakes match against Pakistan in Colombo on February 15, the team's mindset is shifting. Despite a recent scare against the USA, the tournament is set to truly commence for India from Sunday onward. The conditions in Colombo, which differ significantly from those India has recently played in, are expected to dominate strategic planning.
India's assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, emphasized the importance of focusing on cricket amidst the political backdrop. "We understand the sentiments and the different politics between the two countries. But it's really important for us just to focus on the cricket side of things. It's going to be a challenge going to Colombo, where Pakistan have been stationed for the last two weeks. We are fully focused on bringing our best game to that fixture next week," he stated on Tuesday.
Strategic Revisions Due to Pitch Behavior
The nature of pitches in the tournament has not favored high scores thus far, with the sluggish surface in Colombo drawing particular attention from the Indian think-tank. This has prompted a move away from an all-out aggressive batting style, as pitches are anticipated to become even more tired and slower as the tournament progresses.
"Judging how the pitches have played in the first five or six days of the tournament, there might be a slight revision in strategy and how we go about that," Doeschate explained. "The pitches haven't played quite the way we thought yet, and again we want to be adaptive. We should have been a lot better than we were in Mumbai against the USA. We have been going all out, but with the kind of pitches around, you want a bit of technique."
Bowling Unit Under Scrutiny for Improvement
Doeschate then turned the focus to the bowling attack, which he believes has yet to reach its full potential. "I don't think our bowlers have fired yet. It's maybe a little bit easy to look at the USA game and say that was a really good bowling performance, but you have to analyse it objectively in terms of where we put the ball and how we used the ball. We expect a lot more from the bowlers as well," he said.
He highlighted the advantage of having world-class bowlers, which allows batters more freedom to take risks in the T20 format. "Having the world-class bowlers that we have, it does give the batters that freedom to make mistakes in this format. If you're shooting for 250 all the time, you're going to make mistakes. But we need to react to situations as well," Doeschate added.
Washington Sundar's Return Offers Flexibility
With all-rounder Washington Sundar participating in his first practice session after recovering from a rib injury sustained a month ago, the team is reviewing combinations based on pitch conditions. "You know the luxury of having four all-rounders is that you can change the combination. This is where Washington fits in," Doeschate noted, underscoring the strategic options now available to the team as they adapt to the evolving challenges of the tournament.
