While India enter the Super 8 undefeated, the bigger question facing the rest of the competition is no longer about qualification or match-ups. It is much more difficult: how does a team beat India? That exact question became the focus of a discussion between former England cricketers David Lloyd, Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook and Phil Tufnell, as they attempted to crack the code.
“Let’s go back to the T20 World Cup, how do you beat India. I mean Abhishek Sharma, he has been a weapon. He has four outs from the last five innings,” Vaughan said on The Overlap Cricket YouTube channel.
Cook was quick to defend the youngster who backed him for responding under pressure, but that word pressure kept coming up during the conversation. Tufnell felt this may be the only hope teams have left.
“You have to hope I mean it’s a lottery in the end, right, I mean these employees have come close, but that’s what you’d like to think as you said as the pressure mounts,” Tufnell said.
Cook bluntly echoed the sentiment.
“Pressure is the only thing that can beat India,” Cook said.
Lloyd then steered the chat towards tactics that raised the classic question of approach.
“What do you want to do? Tactically, do you want to bat first or bowl first against India,” Lloyd noted.
Cook’s answer reflected both experience and realism.
“I think you have to put runs on the board. Old school and just hope you can get a few, a few early and then the pressure of them having to go from 9 to 10. The problem is they are so good because they play so much of it in those conditions that they seem to find a way in every scenario they face, like in the first game 70 for seven against the USA,” Cook responded.
That match in the US became a recurring reference point. Vaughan noted how close the Americans came.
“Well, the US are the closest team to them so far,” the former England captain noted.
“And they still got themselves out of the hole,” Tuffnell replied.
The tactical inquiry continued when Lloyd asked if pace or variations were the answer. Cook’s response summed up the broader frustration.
“I don’t think it matters. Well, I think it depends on the pitch, doesn’t it? You almost hope they have to play below their potential so that another team has a chance,” Cook added.
Interestingly, India hasn’t even reached its peak yet. While the results have been impeccable, the batting unit as a collective has not clicked, leaving room for growth as the Super 8s begin.
India open their Super 8 campaign with a blockbuster clash against South Africa in Ahmedabad on February 22 before traveling to Chennai to take on Zimbabwe on February 26. Their Super 8 ends in Calcutta with a high-voltage match against West Indies on March 1.
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