Captaining India for the first time after more than a decade-and-half career, albeit in warm-up matches, Dinesh Karthik led the ‘Indians’ team to victory in both the T20 matches, versus Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, ahead of the 3-T20I series against England, starting July 7.
Senior players Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t partake in any of the two games, giving opportunities to other youngsters in the squad.
Here are the winners and losers from the two warm-up games:
Winners:
Indian bowlers were really impressive – Derbyshire made 150/8 in the first match while Northamptonshire were bowled out for 139 in the second match chasing 150.
Arshdeep Singh must have left a good impression on the management, taking 2 wickets each in both matches at a brilliant economy of 7.2. Harshal Patel, who had got a spanking in the second T20I vs Ireland, bounced back against Northamptonshire: he first smashed a 34-ball half-century and then picked up two crucial wickets, helping India defend the total.
Avesh Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal continued on their good form, snapping up a brace each in the second match, while Venkatesh Iyer picked 1 wicket in each game but was worryingly slow with the bat. Umran Malik, who had bowled well in parts vs Ireland, returned with 2/31 vs Derbyshire.
Losers:
The batting department didn’t see many remarkable performances from the top-order. First, Sanju Samson, who hit a fifty vs Ireland but was only retained for the first T20I vs England, batted at a low strike rate vs Derbyshire, taking 30 balls to score 38 and was handed a golden duck vs Northamptonshire.
Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 3 runs vs Derbyshire while Ishan Kishan scored 16 off 20 vs Northamptonshire. Rahul Tripathi, who received his maiden India call-up vs Ireland but didn’t get an opportunity then, played at number 3 in the second warm-up match- but could only manage to score 7 runs.
Suryakumar Yadav, who had registered 0 and 15 vs Ireland, looked back in touch in the first match, scoring 36* off 22 balls but secured a duck in the second game. Deepak Hooda continued his superb form and whacked 59 off 37 in the first match while it was Harshal Patel who stole the show in the second, thumping 54 off 36 while Dinesh Karthik anchored the innings after early wickets, scoring 34 off 26.
Some of these players – Samson, Gaikwad, Malik, Arshdeep, Hooda – could be in line to play in the first T20I vs England before the big guns return from the second match.
India’s squad for 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
India’s squad for 2nd and 3rd T20I: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik
