Off the mark: Bowling concerns for India

When India's T20 outfit began the year under the new regime of Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, the task in front of them was simple enough. Get the batters, if they are batting first, to give the bowlers something to bowl at. For all their bilateral prowess in the format, conservative top-order batting, irrespective of the wickets lost, has cost them games previously. On batting strips, that safety-first approach had left them with just about par totals. That innings against Pakistan at last year's World Cup was a prime example.

Almost 10 months later, Dravid, Sharma and Co seemingly have a new problem to contend with. Get the bowlers to defend above par totals. The top-order have wholeheartedly bought into the concept but the bowlers, once famed for their control, are not in control of their radar, especially at the death. In isolation, it may read like a knee-jerk reaction on the night after Australia chased 209, with 55 off those coming from the start of the 17th over. But this has low-key been an issue, slowly rumbling along in the background.

They are still a damn good team. They cannot be not good having won 19 of the 27 matches in 2022. But some of those seven losses (one was a no result) have a common narrative. In the first match against South Africa in Delhi in June, the batters scored 211. South Africa won with seven wickets and five balls to spare (seamers accounted for 2/139 in 13 overs). Against Pakistan at the Asia Cup, the target was 182. Arshdeep Singh admirably tried to defend in his final over but the seamers again gave away aplenty with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya going for 2/84 in eight overs.

Why is this happening? The match against Sri Lanka in the same tournament as well as Tuesday's against Australia showed. Death bowling. Dasun Shanaka's men chased down 42 off the last four (Bhuvneshwar and Hardik gave away 26 across the 18th and the 19th) to let the match slip. In Mohali, Bhuvneshwar and Harshal Patel were loose with their lines and ended up conceding 25 per cent of the total runs.

Australia needed to score over a three-over period. And, no, there was hardly any dew so there were no caveats to fall back on. That even Ireland almost stole a march at the end is indicative of a malaise. Chasing 52 off 24 with six wickets in hand, they scored 47 (Harshal gave away 28 in his two death overs) and just fell short while chasing 226. Having groomed Harshal as a death overs specialist, his knuckle balls and variations are causing a problem. This issue could go away once Jasprit Bumrah comes back but it's a problem the management did not need.

"I don't think we bowled well," Rohit told the host broadcaster after the game. "You can't score 200 everyday, you need to bat well. Hardik batted really well to get us there. We need to look at our bowling before the next game." Hardik sang from the same hymn sheet. "Maybe we did not execute our plans, maybe we did not execute our deliveries."

There are five more T20I games for the management to look at options before the World Cup in Australia. Five more matches for them to arrive at a solution.