T20 World Cup 2022 | Rahul, Karthik have full backing of Indian team management

Ever since the Indian team arrived in Adelaide from Perth on October 31, the weather in the South Australian capital city has been strange. It is very windy with a cool breeze forcing everyone to wear at least two layers of warm clothing and stay indoors most of the time.

Add to it the rain that has been on and off, light and heavy, but for short spells. There have been short spells of rain even in the brief periods that the sun came out from behind the thick clouds. This unpredictable weather on the eve of the India versus Bangladesh ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Group 2 Super 12 match, however, did not disrupt the Indian team’s optional practice session as they went indoors to have nets at the Favell Dansie Indoor Centre, just behind the Adelaide Oval, the indoor facility named after South Australian greats Leslie Favell and cricketer-turned administrator Neil Dansie.

Among those who attended were the out-of-form KL Rahul, in-form Virat Kohli, who only in the last game against South Africa in Perth on Sunday became the second batsman to score 1,000 runs or more in T20 World Cup tournaments, and Dinesh Karthik, who was put through his paces to assess his fitness after suffering a back spasm in Perth.

The case of Rahul has been very mysterious. He has not got going in this T20 World Cup, scores of 4 against Pakistan, 9 each against the Netherlands and South Africa do not justify the talent that he has and the damage he can cause to the opposition line up.

Despite not touching double digits yet in this edition, his second T20 World Cup tournament, the 30-year-old vice-captain has full backing of the Indian think-tank including coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma. When in full flow, Rahul can be unstoppable. And, for the wide range of shots that he has, he can score in double quick time and take the game beyond the opposition’s reach.

While he was done in by Naseem Shah, playing on to his stumps in Melbourne in the opening match, he showed signs of scoring well by slamming Wayne Parnell over mid-wicket for a six. However, in attempting to turn Lungi Ngidi to third man, he edged to the lone slip fielder Aiden Markram to depart for 9.

On Tuesday at the Favell Dansie Indoor Centre, Rahul took throw downs from India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour, mostly playing the pull and the cut to use these shots to great effect at the Adelaide Oval, whose square boundaries are shorter than the straight ones. Rahul, for the first time in this tour, turned up for the optional nets. He skipped the optional practice in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth on the days prior to the match.

In between taking throw downs, Virat Kohli was seen giving Rahul a few batting tips regarding adjustments and was closely watched by India head coach Rahul Dravid and the mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton. Perhaps, it can be the start of the swing in fortunes for Rahul, and that would be a great sign for the Indian team.

Rahul has the backing of coach Dravid and his skipper Rohit. Of course, it is not easy to drop the vice-captain of the team. And when he has the full backing of the persons that matter, Rahul’s mind is free and not cluttered with doubts.

On the eve of the match, Dravid said that there was no doubt in his and Rohit’s minds as to who would open the innings for India on Tuesday against Bangladesh.

Rahul, who scored his first Test century in only his second match in Australia in 2014, has really not got going in his other visits to this country. And, while he has played white ball cricket in Australia, he is yet to play an ODI or T20I at the Adelaide Oval.

Dravid spoke highly of Rahul and said there was nothing wrong with his technique or the mindset. Dravid said: “He is a fantastic player. He has a proven track record. He has done really well. I thought he has been batting superbly. These things can happen. It has been tough. It is not easy for top order batsmen, this tournament has been pretty challenging.”

Dravid hoped that Rahul finds his form sooner and score as he did in the practice matches. In the game against a WACA XI in Perth as part of the preparatory camp, Rahul scored 74 in 55 balls while against a full-strength Australian attack in the warm-up game in Brisbane, he made 57 in 33 balls.

Dravid said: “He was superb. A lot of you were not there. In the practice game against Australia with Mitchell Starc and Patrick Cummins, a pretty good attack, he got 50-plus. He has been playing really well and we are just hoping it all clicks in the next three or four games. We know his quality, his ability. He is really well suited for these kind of conditions and pitches. He’s got a good all-round game, has a very good strong back foot game which is required in these conditions. We are pretty confident and happy with the way he has been hitting the ball.”

Dravid added that Rahul knows he has the team’s support and that is a positive sign. “Rest assured, both in words and in action, over the last year, he knows he has our support. There has been a lot of clarity about what our squad is going to be, what our side is going to be coming to this tournament and we have not wavered from that for a very long time. Yes, because we play a lot of cricket and you might see a lot of people playing in different situations, in different games. There have been a lot of injuries including him. He has had phases where he has been unfortunately injured. But, in word and in action, with all of our players, that’s a great thing about Rohit that he has really shown that confidence and belief.”

Rahul and Rohit have the second best partnerships in T20 Internationals, sharing 1,850 runs at 48.68 in 39 innings, behind the Pakistan duo of Babar Azam and Md Rizwan (2,343 runs at 50.93). The Indian team is certainly not going to separate this combination, at least not for this World Cup.

Dravid added: “We don’t get swayed by what people are saying. We have confidence and belief in our players, especially in this T20 format, which is such a high-risk format in the sense that you are asking people to play a high-risk brand of cricket, asking them to play a positive brand of cricket. We have always had that belief that we need to give them that confidence and backing. We completely back him. There are no concerns about him. When he gets going, and I have seen him against a top-class Australian attack a couple of weeks ago, I know the impact this guy can make. In Rohit’s and my mind, there is absolutely no doubt who is going to open for us.”

Karthik too has team’s backing 

The Indian team management gave enough indications about sticking with their senior wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. Given the role of a finisher, the 37-year-old Karthik has not had a good World Cup. Missed stumping chances, at least two of them in the tournament, not being able to finish against Pakistan during the tense run chase and fell for 6 in 15 balls against South Africa, though he was involved in a 52-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav in Perth and fell for a hurried shot, his top-edge going towards point.

However, Karthik picked up a back pain while collecting the ball during the South African run chase and was substituted by Rishabh Pant.

Similar to Rahul, Karthik’s place in the playing 11 has been a concern for the critics but not for the team management.

The other day, before India’s second game against the Netherlands, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey assured that Karthik will be the first-choice keeper. And on Tuesday, Dravid gave enough indications that Karthik will keep should he prove his fitness on the match day and that his form was not really a concern.

Dravid said: “He (Karthik) has pulled up pretty well today. He had a spasm when he jumped to collect a bouncer and landed in a way that he did his back a little bit. With treatment and this morning he has pulled up pretty well. He has come for training. We will assess him. Will see how he pulls up tomorrow morning after a good practice session today. We will put him through his paces and ensure we have given him a good workout and see how he pulls up tomorrow morning before making a final decision.”

About Karthik’s form, Dravid said: “Again, it is tough to assess how DK has gone about. He played one ball against Pakistan in the back end, did not get to bat against the Netherlands, He was building up a pretty good partnership with Suryakumar Yadav at that stage and we needed that partnership to stabilise us. That is the nature of the game. You play high-risk shot and get out, which is why people need to be backed and supported as much as we possibly can in this format. Sometimes with DK at No. 5 or 6, you don’t get enough balls and when you go, you have to deliver high-risk shot without having much time to settle in. Our belief is to back and support, come critical time they will be in the right frame of mind to be able to play crunch shots for us.”

One thing is certain. Rahul and Karthik have the full backing of the think tank and unless an injury keeps them out, they have cemented their places for this World Cup.