Should India mull Sanju for Tilak option for fourth T20I?

As bad as it was for India at Trent Bridge, not much should be read into the 76 all out. Every now and then, India are prone to such batting implosions. During the 2016 T20 World Cup, they were bowled out for 79 against New Zealand in Nagpur but still went on to reach the semi-finals. Even at the last T20 World Cup, barely four months ago, they were bundled out for 111 in a Super Eights fixture against South Africa in Ahmedabad, losing the match by 76 runs. The hosts then returned to winning ways and ended up lifting the title. In between, there were the infamous 36 all out and 46 all out in Tests.

Yes, losing four of their last five T20Is should be a concern for the world champions, but the batting meltdown in the third T20I against England in Nottingham was an isolated case. Certain decisions, like sending Axar Patel ahead of Tilak Varma and Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube, defied logic. But that game is now water under the bridge, and India need a response when they take on England in the fourth T20I in Bristol today.

It is understood that the team management is considering bringing Sanju Samson back into the playing XI. The wicketkeeper-batsman lost his place to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after scores of 5, 0 and 1 in Ireland and England, but the door hasn’t been slammed shut on him. “There’s no such thing that there’s any hard and fast rule that he (Sanju) cannot make a comeback in this series,” head coach Gautam Gambhir told reporters after the game in Nottingham.

Nothing has been finalised yet, but if the team management decides to recall Sanju, it is unlikely that Sooryavanshi will make way. The teenager has been given an opportunity to prove himself at the highest level and will be afforded time to settle in. The plan is to play him in all the remaining matches of the ongoing series before giving him another run in the three T20Is against Zimbabwe.

If Sanju returns, there is a possibility, according to sources, that he could replace Tilak and bat at No. 3, without disrupting the Abhishek Sharma-Sooryavanshi opening partnership. The 31-year-old has batted in that position for India and his former IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals, on many occasions. Although it was in a different format, his only ODI century came while batting at No. 3 against South Africa.

Sanju had also lost his place in the playing XI at the start of the T20 World Cup earlier this year. But the Abhishek Sharma-Ishan Kishan opening combination never quite clicked and became a little too predictable for the opposition. After returning to the side, Sanju scored 97 not out, 89 and 89 in three must-win matches. He batted deep into the innings, something he is capable of when at his best. The Indian team in the ongoing series is missing a batter who can anchor an innings, take the game deep and adjust his tempo according to the situation.

Between September last year and the game at Trent Bridge two days ago, Tilak has scored only four half-centuries in 29 T20Is. The latest came in the second T20I against Ireland in Belfast, where, despite being the only set batter, he failed to take India over the line. Vice-captaincy shouldn’t insulate him from being dropped. A vice-captain being left out of the playing XI has happened many times before. During the 2018 Test series in South Africa, Ajinkya Rahane was dropped for the first two matches despite being Virat Kohli’s deputy.

Sanju at No. 3, followed by Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer at Nos. 4 and 5 respectively, might offer better balance to India’s batting.

The post Should India mull Sanju for Tilak option for fourth T20I? appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.