The Indian cricket team's World Cup campaign has been a rollercoaster ride for one of its key players, Abhishek Sharma. While some coaches are divided on how to address his current slump, others offer insights that could change the game for the young opener. But here's where it gets controversial...
Abhishek, known for his explosive batting, has been unusually quiet in the World Cup. His scratchy score of 15 against South Africa on Sunday night followed three ducks earlier in the tournament, and India's none-too-authoritative performance so far has coincided with the dip in his form. And this is the part most people miss...
Sunil Gavaskar suggested that he take a single to break out of the 'zero' block. "He shouldn't force himself to play big shots across the line. Take a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don't matter," the former India captain, himself an opener, advised the struggling Abhishek Sharma. But is this the right approach?
The Indian coaches differed on how to address the Abhishek situation. "I think Abhi's preparation coming into the World Cup with the food poisoning that he had at one stage has obviously hampered his progress in terms of where we want him to be at this phase," assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said. "You want him to be up and running and sort of confident in his swing and confident in his game plan and when you score three zeros that is going to start weighing on you."
However, Sitanshu Kotak felt it is not the time to work on his technique or approach. "I think it's not like a struggle. Even today, I felt that he got a start. If you say a lot of things to the batsman at this time, it is more beneficial to not say anything to him. Every player has such a slack period of 2-3 matches. And it is the same time when five people think, 'let's go and tell him something,'" said the India batting coach.
But is this the right approach? Zubin Bharucha, a coach of repute who has trained players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel among others, offers a different perspective. "The format has an inbuilt mechanism of high variability and unpredictability. It is critical that players understand this first and foremost; along with coaches, management, owners, and every other stakeholder in the sport. The Abhishek Sharma conundrum exists within this very cauldron."
Bharucha continues, "It challenges the traditional notion of 'form.' In a format where a player can swing from zero to a hundred on any given day, as we've seen in the career record of someone like Sanju Samson while opening (zero or hundred) - the idea of form becomes almost redundant. Players must grow comfortable with the oscillation between failure and cashing in. For Abhishek Sharma, it would be far more productive not to equate success by bashing ball after ball in his net sessions, but instead to focus on walking out with the same fearless, almost incredulous mindset that has brought him recent success - and to maximise the moment when it arrives."
So, what's the right approach? Is it to work on his technique or to focus on his mindset? And what does the future hold for Abhishek Sharma? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: the young opener needs to evolve his game as he is in danger of being sorted out by the opposition. And this is the part most people miss...
Do you agree with the coaches' approaches? Or do you have a different strategy in mind? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
