Problematic middle: IND has a situation to handle

India has had a rough year in 2022. They’ve had a lot of injuries, lost the T20 World Cup semi-final, had the entire selection panel removed suddenly, and now they’ve lost an ODI series in Bangladesh after losing in New Zealand, with the 2023 World Cup less than a year away.

Even though India is testing a large number of players, their loss to Bangladesh will be troubling because their inexperienced bowling attack had put them on the verge of victory in the first two One-Day Internationals despite winning both tosses.

Before Mehidy Hasan Miraz orchestrated a miraculous one-wicket victory, India had reduced the hosts to 136 for 9 after only defending 186 runs in the series opener. Mehidy became the only second batter to score a century at No. 3 three days later, when India had Bangladesh batting first with 69 for 6, but Mehidy thwarted them once more with a sensational 100 off 83 balls. 8 in the ODIs

With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja out, India’s strategies may not have been exposed by the twin failures, but it is a wake-up call as they shift their focus from T20Is to ODIs ahead of the World Cup next year. Does India have sufficient options for attacking in the middle overs? As conditions improve at home for the World Cup, as they did in Dhaka this week, bowlers may find the middle overs of the innings difficult on the pitches, increasing the pressure on bowling teams to break partnerships.

Mehidy and Mahmudullah started playing with more ease in the second ODI after the initial swing and seam movement subsided, breaking the record for Bangladesh’s highest partnership against India. Their 148-run seventh-wicket stand began in the 20th over and only lasted until the 47th.

India has struggled for some time in ODI middle overs (overs 11 to 40).

They have the highest economy rate since the beginning of 2020, 5.56, compared to 4.92 for New Zealand and 5.04 for Australia. Even for ODIs played at home during the same time, India’s middle-overs economy of 5.76 is only better than that of England and South Africa. India and the majority of other teams are currently unable to make up for any extra runs that England may have conceded with their bats.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma said that their bowling in the middle overs was a problem they needed to fix quickly after the second ODI defeat on Wednesday.

“From 70 for 6, allowing them to get 270-odd was not a great effort from our bowlers. We started off really well, and the middle overs and the back end is something that is hurting a little bit. That happened in the first game and today as well. It’s something we need to realise quickly because we don’t have too much time [before the next World Cup], we need to focus on what we need to do as individuals and give them that specific role to come out and do it.”

Rohit said after the game. 

After the tour through Bangladesh, India have three ODI series at home (T20Is and Tests as well) against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia beginning in January and finishing before the IPL. These nine ODIs – three against each group – are a chance to test and distinguish their best bowlers for the middle overs in home settings, and consequently prepare them for the World Cup.

Shardul Thakur (26 wickets at 25.15 each), Yuzvendra Chahal (22 at 32.31 each), Kuldeep Yadav (17 at 47), Prasidh Krishna (16 at 22.31), and Washington Sundar (10 at 22.20) have been India’s top middle-overs wicket-takers since 2020. Thakur has been an ordinary in the ODI team recently, while Chahal is the leader among the spinners, yet are India likewise genuinely considering Kuldeep Yadav given he didn’t play a match on the visit through New Zealand and was avoided with regards to the ODI crew in Bangladesh? Along with Jadeja and Axar Patel, Washington is emerging as a promising contender for the spin-all rounder position.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5.47) and Prasidh (5.14), Avesh Khan (5.26), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5.34), and Mohammed Siraj (5.89) are the Indian bowlers with the highest economy rates in the middle overs of ODI matches since 2020. Avesh has now fallen behind in the food chain and Bhuvneshwar has barely played ODIs this year, which leaves Siraj and Prasidh, who is right now harmed, as the top speed choices in the center overs.

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Though he is disappointed that India have been plagued by injuries recently, coach Rahul Dravid is hopeful that he will have a fully fit team to choose from in the new year. Also, when any semblance of Jadeja, Shami, Prasidh and Bumrah return to wellness, India will have a lot of choices to tweak their best blend.

“Hopefully from January onwards we should have – depending on injuries – a full squad around and something that we’ll certainly look at, the opportunity to see how we can take wickets in the middle. I thought we did well today but there was a phase where we let that partnership build. So good learnings for us in these games, especially in these kinds of conditions which Bangladesh is used to and plays very well in. Obviously for us, once we’re able to select from our full squad in January, hopefully we can look to address all these issues.”

Dravid said after the series defeat in Bangladesh.

India’s second-string attack have one more game in Bangladesh to show off what they can do, before the competition for places heats up early next year.

KL Rahul to Lead Team India in Last ODI And In Test series against Bangladesh In Absence of Rohit Sharma ❤️🔥..#KLRahul𓃵 #INDvsBAN pic.twitter.com/nE1Zi3Iaez

— Adarsh Adhikari 𝕏 (@KL_Adarsh01) December 9, 2022