Karthik Reveals Rohit's Plan: Fearless Spin & Pace Power India to T20 World Cup Final

Dinesh Karthik vividly recalls his talk with Rohit Sharma following the devastating defeat to England in the Adelaide 2022 World Cup semi-finals.

Even if it meant losing a few wickets, the captain of Team India had emphasized the need of demonstrating intent at the top. In addition to focusing on the hitters' strikeout rate, Rohit had devised a strategy for a formidable offensive that could be effective in any situation.

This time, even before most other captains could have decided on their bowling lineup, Rohit had his plan in place early in the Indian Premier League. When most other captains would have balked at the idea of selecting four spinners, he displayed foresight.

Before the semi-final matchup with England, Rohit declared, "We will play if we feel it is necessary to play four spinners."

At Providence Stadium on Thursday, India's three spinners drove the English to a rout, proving that the circumstances did not call for a change in strategy. As they rekindle their attempt to end their ICC trophy drought of over a decade against South Africa in Bridgetown on Saturday, there won't be any let-up in their aggressive and confrontational attitude.

It won't be unusual for someone like Henrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, or Aiden Markram to go into Kuldeep Yadav's footage and decipher the puzzle of his googly or the incorrect 'un. Most batters have been shaken by the wrist spinner's ability to extract drift and turn from the surfaces. Kuldeep has unquestionably been the most influential spinner, and his statistics—10 wickets at an economy of 5.87 across four Super Eight games—justify his advancement.

The way Kuldeep deceived England's best spinner, Harry Brook, on Thursday had to be raising alarms in the South Africa camp. Brook will attest that at times he has been so dangerous that he is practically unplayable.

He pushed one that was flatter and quicker, sensing that Brook would try the reverse sweep, and it drifted away before wheeling in to him. The ball was able to slip past his bat and rattle the stumps because of the leg-stump line.

The depth of bowlers Rohit has on his squad is frightening. The attack has been led by Kuldeep, although Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah have also put in strong performances. Maybe the only one who hasn't performed up to standard has been Ravindra Jadeja.

When all hope appeared lost, Bumrah kept making progress throughout the competition. With a slow off-cutter, he eliminated Australia's last remaining hopes against India's arch-enemy, Travis Head.

With 13 wickets in seven matches at an economy of 4.12, the fast bowler's pinpoint precision and tactical acumen have frequently forced the hitters to avoid taking unnecessary chances. He has also been used wisely by Rohit, who has given him the opportunity to cause a batting collapse.

Bumrah's motivational influence has made it possible for Arshdeep to succeed on the other end. His ability to extract swinging—both reverse and conventional—has allowed him to claim the lead in wicket-taking for India with 15 scalps.

The true discovery, though, has been Axar, who is developing quickly into a promising all-around player in the limited-overs system. In the Powerplay overs of the semifinals, his bowling changed the course of events.

After two near misses, it will all come down to making it over the finish line in their finest opportunity. In Rahul Dravid's final match as coach, the bowlers will once again be in control of the game.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.