Sooryavanshi debate intensifies as India face England in T20 series opener

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s potential debut and India’s batting concerns dominate the build-up to the England T20I series. Selectors weigh changes after Ireland setbacks, while conditions at Riverside and England’s strong bowling attack pose a major challenge for the visitors

Chester-Le-Street (UK): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s eagerly awaited debut and India’s exposed batting frailties on challenging wickets dominate the discourse as India take on England in a five-match T20 International series starting here on Wednesday.

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Sooryavanshi will have to “go through the process and bide his time” like any other cricketer to earn a place in the XI. At the same time, he had no hesitation in stating that the 15-year-old swashbuckler seems ready for the grind.

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However, it remains to be seen whether the management will hold firm on its resolve that Sooryavanshi must follow the process amid the growing clamour to blood the explosive hitter.

Ten Doeschate was candid enough to admit that there is disbelief in the camp after being whitewashed 0-2 by Ireland last week, and it could well become the trigger for drastic action.

The twin failure of Sanju Samson against Ireland offers them a perfect excuse to bench the opener and pair Sooryavanshi with Abhishek Sharma, who could be retained after his 20-ball 49 in the first T20I at Belfast.

It could end up being the move that gives the visitors a strong start against England in the five-match series.

Ishan Kishan also did not cover himself in glory during the two-match series against Ireland and was dismissed for 1 and 12.

So, the management can bench either of the two to accommodate Sooryavanshi, but they will also consider the possible effect such a move may have on the morale of the omitted batter.

If one takes the case of Samson, he had a strong run in the back-end of the T20 World Cup earlier this year and also scored two centuries for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

However, the think tank led by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir is not averse to taking harsh calls, and those in doubt can revisit the Suryakumar Yadav story.

They also handed debuts to Suryansh Shedge and Prince Yadav against Ireland, leaving Sooryavanshi waiting for his national cap.

Sooryavanshi is no quick fix

But the inclusion of Sooryavanshi alone should not be viewed as a quick fix to India’s batting travails, which have many layers.

None of the Indian batters looked comfortable in conditions at Belfast that offered considerable assistance to pacers.

They looked like fish out of water once routes to aggressive batting were blocked by conditions and accurate Irish bowling.

In the second T20I, Tilak Varma appeared to have handled the situation with a measured fifty, but his patience ran out after 46 balls.

That impatience was reflected in several other Indian batters while chasing achievable targets like 183 and 155.

It required a different mindset than batting on IPL-friendly pitches, but the adjustment was missing.

The Indian batters will need to adapt quickly, as England will offer similar conditions along with a more experienced attack.

England have express pace in Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Saqib Mahmood, and Sonny Baker, and variation through Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed.

The average T20I score at Riverside Ground is 138, with a highest of 195, indicating bowler-friendly conditions across eight previous matches.

If India’s batters fail to adjust quickly, England could run away with the five-match series.

India’s new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer will certainly not want a second series defeat in a row.

England’s batting line-up also features power hitters such as Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Phil Salt and Tom Banton.

In both T20Is against Ireland, India’s bowlers allowed the opposition to recover in the middle overs after early breakthroughs.

A repeat against England could be heavily exploited.

India will require a more disciplined bowling effort, particularly from spinners Axar Patel, Suryansh Shedge and Washington Sundar, who have so far been largely ineffective.