Batting great Sunil Gavaskar believes young opener Abhishek Sharma is feeling the burden of expectations in the ongoing T20 World Cup and has advised him to curb the urge to attack from the very first ball.
Abhishek, who entered the tournament as the No.1-ranked T20I batsman, is enduring a lean patch with three successive ducks in his maiden ICC event, having failed to score against the USA, Pakistan and the Netherlands.
Gavaskar said the 25-year-old needs to spend more time at the crease instead of looking to dominate immediately.
“Abhishek Sharma is a lovely player, but expectations seem to be weighing on him. If he had started well against USA, things might have been different. Now, the pressure of being the big six-hitter and top batter is visible,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
“With his range of shots, he needs to give himself time. He cannot try to hit a boundary or six off the first ball. If the big shots come naturally, that’s fine. But he shouldn’t force strokes across the line early in the innings.”
The former India captain emphasized the importance of getting off the mark and settling in before launching into his natural attacking game.
“Even four dot balls don’t matter. Take a single and get off the mark. Every batter wants that first run. Once he gets it, everything can fall into place. Spend an over or two settling in, then play your natural game,” he added.
India, meanwhile, defeated the Netherlands by 17 runs on Wednesday to top Group A, thanks to a blazing 66 off 31 balls from Shivam Dube and an incisive spell of 3 for 14 by Varun Chakravarthy.
Gavaskar heaped praise on Dube, saying the left-handed all-rounder is evolving into a formidable T20 batsman.
“Shivam Dube is very difficult to bowl to because he has a wide range of shots. He’s not just targeting mid-wicket and square leg; he can clear long-off and long-on as well. If he develops the inside-out shot over extra cover, he will become a really scary batter. The way he is maturing with every innings is very good news for India,” he said.
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On Chakravarthy, Gavaskar described the mystery spinner as a crucial weapon in India’s T20 plans.
“Three for 14 in four overs is outstanding. When you take wickets, you also restrict runs. Clearly, Varun is going to be a key bowler. Jasprit Bumrah will operate with the new ball, and if Hardik Pandya chips in early, that helps. But India will rely heavily on Varun’s four overs, especially in the Super 8 stage.”
Looking ahead to the Super 8 clash against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Gavaskar predicted changes in the playing XI.
He backed Axar Patel to return to the side, possibly in place of Arshdeep Singh.
“My feeling is that Axar Patel will definitely come back for the Super 8 games. Whether he replaces Arshdeep Singh, we’ll have to wait and see. Washington Sundar might retain his place because he can bat at No.8 and provide depth,” Gavaskar said.
He also hinted that wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav might miss out on a surface unlikely to assist spin.
“On a pitch like the one in Ahmedabad, which doesn’t offer much turn, the management might not go with Kuldeep. Washington’s all-round ability gives him an edge. So the only likely change could be Axar coming in for Arshdeep,” he concluded.
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