Kolkata: When it comes to the dire need of having to wipe the slate clean and start again, T20 is the most effective format. Pick the two most expressive teams in the game, the current and former T20I World Cup champions, throw in the subcontinent setting with lightning quick outfields, late winter dew and an IPL context and you have struck oil. An entirely different landscape as well. No Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli or Ravindra Jadeja, and obsession over batting positions, nothing etched in stone.
At a time when the Indian cricket team is taking a hit from every angle in the wake of back-to-back Test series defeats to New Zealand and Australia, a switch to a more liberating format was probably needed. This is a happy bubble, a settled group unscathed by media leaks and 10-point dos and don’ts. “Bus mein gaane chal rahe the (songs were playing in our team bus),” said Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain. “It feels good. We had a lovely team dinner too last night. And this group has been together for 2-3 series now. Everyone knows who likes what and who doesn’t.”
While playing five T20Is (India also play three ODIs vs England) before the Champions Trophy can be debated, the series outcome is far from a foregone conclusion. England skipper Jos Buttler and deputy Harry Brook have hundreds at Eden Gardens. Phil Salt was Kolkata Knight Riders’ latest homeboy. That Brendon McCullum, whose resume was enriched at Eden Gardens as KKR opener and then as coach, will make his England white-ball coaching debut here too isn’t lost on anyone. And like in Tests, he wants to make a splash in this format as well.
“I’m desperate for us to play a really watchable brand of cricket,” McCullum said on Monday. “With the talent we have, there’s no reason why we can’t. We’ve got a batting line-up which is as powerful as any in the world. We’ve got gun spinners, very good fielders and guys who bowl absolute rockets with the ball. So, you’ve got options there to be able to entertain and give yourself the greatest chance of success.”
This is Gautam Gambhir’s turf though. Almost everything that went into building Gambhir the leader was raised from scratch at Eden Gardens, first as KKR captain and then as mentor. Surya’s too. “It’s a very special feeling to come back and play,” said the India captain. “My franchise journey started from here when I started playing regularly. I had played under Gauti bhai for four years. I have spent a lot of time with him. I know how it works. Without even speaking, he can read your mind. His style, coaching style, and we are moving in the right direction.”
At a time like this when he is under scrutiny, Gambhir would love to head back to his comfort zone. And what better venue than where it all began for him? For some of the players as well. No one has bowled better at Eden in the last two years than Varun Chakravarthy. Surya sees Rinku Singh hitting sixes because where else would he feel more at home? “He has measured all the corners here,” he said tongue-in-cheek. Also assuring is the sense of autonomy in a team where vice-captaincy changed hands quietly, from Hardik Pandya. “Axar Patel has been given that added responsibility. He has been with the team for a very long time now. But at the same time, Hardik is also a part of the leadership (group). He is always around when we sit, decide what we want to do in the game going forward, and while on the field. It’s like we have a lot of captains on the ground.”
Role clarity is also noteworthy. Surya, Pandya, Rinku, Nitish Reddy and Tilak Varma are the core batters, but flexible about their positions. Arshdeep Singh is proving to be the death overs specialist while Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar have all been economical and penetrative. The most telling has been the pecking order established among wicketkeeper batsmen, where Sanju Samson has emerged the top T20I pick ahead of Rishabh Pant. “Currently, there is no question mark on the wicketkeeper,” Surya said. “Sanju has done really well in the last 7-8 games, he has really shown what he is capable of. And that’s what we want from all the players in the side.”
What remains to be seen is how Mohammed Shami fits in this group, considering he has not played T20Is since that heavy T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to England in 2022. Shami’s fitness has improved but considering that India also need him for the Champions Trophy. , his workload management during this series could be crucial. Complicating the setting is the dew factor, which could make life difficult for fast bowlers in these small grounds. Since this is England, expect tough questions to be asked of the bowling. How India reacts to that will decide if this series really lives up to the billing.
