The Rahul Dravid-led team management was left ruing not having a replacement for Hardik Pandya once an ankle injury against Bangladesh in Pune ruled him out of the ODI World Cup.
The think-tank had backups ready for every other player for any eventuality, but they hadn’t bargained for Pandya. Dravid was forced to accept it was a mistake not to have someone as cover for Pandya.
Wiser by the experience, the head coach doesn’t want to repeat such slip-ups when the T20 World Cup takes place in the West Indies and the US in June. Pandya is expected to be fit and play the IPL, but the team management is not going to take chances as he is injury-prone.
The series versus Afghanistan is India’s last chance to test their combination and bench strength. There has been a lot of talk about the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but Shivam Dube’s all-round performance in the opener in Mohali on Thursday will not go unnoticed.
Dube, 30, bowled two tidy overs showcasing the ability to fill in when someone has a bad day or can even complete his quota if the team is playing a bowler short. With the bat, he can handle the middle overs and showed the skill to construct the innings in the shortest format. His unbeaten 60 off 40 balls reposed the faith that Chennai Super Kings had shown in him during their title-winning campaign in the IPL last season.
Being a left-handed batter, he brings in more options and can challenge the opposition’s spin threat which could prove to be useful in the West Indies. Dube showed maturity and responsibility in handling the circumstances which would have come as a source of encouragement to the team. Here was an all-rounder they could look up to since he provides balance to the side.
It is no surprise that Dube has been influenced by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “Mahi bhai once told me something and those are the most encouraging and motivating words for me. He said, ‘you’re good, just be fearless,’” Dube said on the CSK website last season.
Like most other newcomers, Dhoni’s influence played a huge role in his transformation at CSK. Dube has his limitations against real pace and short-pitched stuff, but can be lethal against the spinners. Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming quickly noticed this trait, used him intelligently when the spinners came on and that reaped success.
The clarity and a definite strategy allowed Dube to prosper. On Thursday, Dube didn’t forget to thank Dhoni for his success.
“When I came to bat, I wanted to implement what I have learnt from MS Dhoni about finishing games,” Dube said. “I keep speaking to Mahi bhai. He tells me how to tackle different situations. He has given me two-three tips and rated my batting. So, I feel if he rates my batting, then I’ll keep playing well. My confidence went up because of that.
“In T20, it’s important for a batter to finish games off while chasing, so doing that felt very good,” he said.
Dube also received words of encouragement from Rohit, in his maiden game under the India captain. “He (Rohit) told me only one thing, ‘keep playing this way, be positive in your game. You know you can score from anywhere and you can win us the game from anywhere’.”
Is the World Cup selection at the back of his mind? “It’s a dream for every cricketer to contribute and help his country win,” he said. “So, that is always at the back of the
mind. But there’s a lot of time left for it, so I want to take it step by step.”
So far, Dube has taken the right steps.
