India will have a lot at stake when
they take on Afghanistan in their opening tie of the WT20. After being crowned
champions in the Inaugural WT20 in 2007, India has had forgettable outings in
the previous two editions of the tournament. The defeat against Pakistan in the
warm up game has once again exposed the primordial chaos of the inept bowling
attack and woeful fielding standards.
Ammunition supply will be
supervised by the likes of Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Raina, Rohit Sharma
and Dhoni himself, which to a large extent; will not only countervail India’s
weaknesses in other departments but also determine the length of India’s
journey in the tournament.
The most apparent and plausibly the
biggest threat for India is its own bowling. Despite an experienced bowling
unit, the bowlers look so forlorn in death overs, that it paves the way of
comeback for the opposition even from the most precarious situations. The only
solace is the all-round ability of Ashwin and Pathan which lends a much needed
balance and flexibility to the side.
Indians may not be firm favourites to win the tournament but it would be farcical to write them off. Dhoni is known for his knack of handling pressure situations with great aplomb which may well be the distinguishing factor in the end.
Players to watch out for – Yuvraj, Pathan
