I seriously have started doubting now that Shreyas will make it as an India regular in the upcoming future. His pace issues are just too significant. And the fact that Hardik after one IPL win, just walks in and takes the vice captaincy role, says a lot about what the team thinks about Shreyas' leadership potential.
From whatever I've seen today, Pant continues to be insipid as captain. He's also pretty much in the KL Rahul mould as far as captaincy goes.
South Africa are a gun LOI side now, and have come here full strength. They're the only side to have the wood over India in India (when it comes to ODI's and T20's). Cant be a bigger test than this series, for us to fine tune our T20 WC preparations.
India have been behind the eight ball in T20 cricket for a very very long time. Our white ball record has a lot to do with playing insipid teams and having a fantastic bowling attack. Our biggest issue is the balance and the batting. We made 210 today and I can guarantee that it would have been 160 in Oz on the same track. If you see the game then it was easy to see how many Mickey Mouse sixes we hit. We are a boundary hitting team while the others are range hitting teams.
THAT is our biggest weakness along with the lack of multi skilled cricketers minus keeper batters. Just compare this English team to the one we have now (all the talk about our depth)
Bairstow
Roy
This pair does not care what the track is like. They go from the outset and they have the liberty to do so because they bat so damn deep.
Ali (perfect no3. He's a left hander, plays spin and pace equally well and is a massively underrated bowler of the off spin variety)
Stokes (The actual 3D cricketer)
We have no idea who this will be. Kohli and SKY and while both are gun batters, they are both single skilled and only our public can go banana's over our middle order just because they're superstars.
Livingstone (the best T20 cricketer in the world at the moment. Bowls both varieties of spin and he is along with Russell the best range hitter)
Buttler (Most versatile white ball batter, keeper and will make an outstanding captain with a calm head)
I think both Pant and Pandya have the muscle to match the batting prowess here but they both blow hot and cold. Pant has not achieved his potential in white ball cricket like he has in the longer format and there is always a sword hanging over Pandya's body.
Curran (capable of opening the batting and perfect new ball bowler of the left arm variety. He can easily chip in for an over just before the death)
Woakes (most underrated new ball bowler in white ball cricket and a luxury at 8)
Jadeja is our answer here and his bowling has long been suspect in T20's while Deepak Chahar is our best hope at 8. Again, good options but we have barely seen them pull anything monumental off for a period of time.
Archer
Jordan
Rashid
Bumrah's level of bowling with the power to strike at 200 if needed in Archer. Jordan can simply be used at the death and can bat. As good a fielder as Jadeja, almost. Rashid is the most underrated wrist spinner in the world and can easily bat 8/9 in other teams. I'll go out on a limb and say he is as good as Chahal at least but has delivered in ICC games. Our other fast bowler is still unanswered and I don't know if that is Harshal/Arshdeep.
There are plenty of other options England have. I just don't think we have the multi skilled depth the other really good teams have and that includes Pakistan. SA, WI. England & Australia are a cut above the rest and don't ask me how the Kiwis do it every time. Just don't.
