00:00But we're delighted to be joined by our cricket analyst in Mr. Sonny Gavaskar.
00:03He's giving you the first reactions here on India today.
00:07The legend who actually walked in with the trophy today with Sundar Pichai.
00:10Saibai, I'll talk to you about that moment with Google boss Sundar Pichai
00:15and how he's such a big fan of you.
00:17But let's start with what we've just witnessed.
00:20You know, the last few days in this tournament, we've been covering every match.
00:25And even though India were winning, we all pointed out to the fact
00:29that Indian batting is not firing on all cylinders.
00:32There seemed to be a bit of a worry there.
00:34Today, those worries came to a light.
00:37And this is what we were worried about.
00:39You know, that Indian batting line-up on occasions, not really firing on all cylinders.
00:43This was the day that we all were fearing.
00:48Yes, I think any game, you have to get off to a good start with the bat and with the
00:53ball.
00:54With the ball, you take early wickets.
00:55In the first six, you take two wickets.
00:57You give yourself a good chance to restrict the opposition to a reasonable total.
01:02And in the first six overs, if you get off to a start losing just maybe one wicket,
01:06then again, you give yourself a chance of chasing any total.
01:08But that is not what is happening.
01:11India has not been getting a good start from their opening batters.
01:14And in fact, they are losing a wicket pretty much in the first over of their innings.
01:18And that actually sets everybody back because suddenly the pressure then gets a little too much on batsman number three.
01:25And I think that is where India has struggled because otherwise the batting is very good.
01:31But this time around, because they have not got off to a good start, they have struggled to put runs
01:36on the ball.
01:37The most obvious question, Sanibai, that comes to your mind is the fact that this Indian team for the last
01:43year and a half was knocking off runs for fun.
01:47You know, we are talking about chasing 187.
01:50They were knocking off 220, 230 for fun.
01:53Dare I say, on some occasions, they were even targeting 300.
01:56What has really happened to them?
01:58Yes, they have won the majority of their encounters.
02:00This is the first loss.
02:01But that same batting line-up that would get 230 for fun is not being, you know, reaching even 200.
02:08What has really happened to this batting then?
02:13Yes, I think that's only because we are not getting off to a good start.
02:15The moment you get off to a flying start, you get to maybe 70 or thereabouts in the first seven
02:20overs, 10 runs and over.
02:21Then in the remaining overs that you have with pickets in hand, you can then score at 12, 13, 14
02:26runs per over and get to 190, 200 easily.
02:30But because the Indian team has just not been getting starts, that is the reason why they have not been
02:35able to chase totals.
02:36They have not been able to put, you know, massive totals on the board when they are batting first.
02:40Okay, okay.
02:41To your point then, because as you are pointing out, the problem is not being able to get to a
02:47good start.
02:47Though I remember in that year, year and a half that I was referring to, there were occasions where they
02:52didn't get off to a good start,
02:54yet would get, you know, the upwards of 200, 220, 230.
02:58You know, we still don't know what's really happened.
03:00Are there the pitches or is it the pressure of the ICC tournament that the scores have gone down?
03:05But be that as it may, because you point out to not getting good starts, let me put you down
03:11to it.
03:12Why do you think India is not getting good starts?
03:17I think it is perhaps maybe just a little over-enthusiastic, you know, response in trying to hit success.
03:26Rather than looking at the situation, rather than looking at the bowler, rather than looking at where the boundaries are,
03:31long boundaries.
03:32There are certain, most of the grounds, you know, one side is long, one side is a little bit short.
03:36So, I don't think that appreciation has been shown where they're looking, you know, to take advantage of the shorter
03:41boundary and look to play the big shots over there.
03:44Okay.
03:45Okay.
03:45So, that's one thing that you talk about, you know, not getting to good starts.
03:48Let's analyse this game even in a deeper way.
03:5320 for 3.
03:54You have South Africa on the mat.
03:56Do you think the Indian team missed a trick, the captain missed a trick, not getting Bumrah quickly?
04:01Because we knew that partnership, almost a 100-run partnership, I think it was 97, if I'm not mistaken, between
04:08Brevis and Miller.
04:09That was the game there.
04:11Had you got that, nipped it in the bud, maybe they wouldn't have reached that daunting total, 187.
04:17You think the Indian team missed a trick, not getting Bumrah in the middle over, something that they would do
04:22previously as well.
04:23And then saving him for just the death overs.
04:29No, I don't think that happened because, you know, it was always a touchy, you know, thing for the captain.
04:36Whether to give another over to Bumrah or keep two towards the back end of the innings.
04:41He kept two towards the back end of the innings, which also was good.
04:44Otherwise, because of that, Bumrah was able to get those wickets, a couple of wickets.
04:48Otherwise, South Africa could well have ended over 200.
04:51So, I think, I don't think you can fault the captaincy of Surya Kumar Yadav.
04:55You've got to give credit to the South African batters, particularly Brevis and David Miller, for their partnership, which actually
05:01steadied the innings.
05:02Look, India never got a partnership.
05:04Even if India got a partnership, half of what Brevis and Miller put, it could have been a different story.
05:11India never got a partnership going.
05:13They were losing wickets at regular intervals.
05:15And when that happens, however deep your batting is, then it's a struggle to get to the asking rate and
05:21to try and keep up with the required run rate.
05:25Okay, Saiwaj, we go back to the tactical analysis.
05:28And the one thing that, you know, seemed very obvious, I'm not saying it in hindsight now that the game
05:33is done.
05:34Even at the toss, many found it very awkward that someone like Aksar Patel doesn't play.
05:41You know, previous game versus Netherlands, maybe they thought because it was an inconsequential game, you've got in a Washington
05:47Sundar.
05:48But Aksar has been your top performing spin bowling all-rounder.
05:52When you look at, you know, India's batting, they don't make changes based on match-ups.
05:57They've got a lot of left-handers, but the captain says, no, we will go with our best team.
06:01Match-ups don't matter, form matters.
06:03When it comes to bowling, you look at match-ups, you get an off-spinner, but drop your best bowling
06:08all-rounder in Aksar Patel.
06:10I remember two matches where Aksar Patel has helped you in this particular tournament.
06:13You were against the run of play, batters were getting runs, USA, Pakistan, two games come to my mind.
06:19He got to the crucial wickets.
06:20Was it right then to keep someone like Aksar Patel out because you're thinking match-ups?
06:28Well, I think that was either a question of, you know, looking at an off-spinner who can bowl to
06:34the left-handers in the South African, you know, composition.
06:39That is the reason why Washington Sundar was picked.
06:42So I don't think, you know, that is something where, you know, things can go either your way or it
06:47doesn't go your way.
06:48So I don't think, you know, that is not having Aksar is the reason India lost.
06:54I don't think that is the thing.
06:55Yes, Aksar would have certainly been a big help, but because you needed an off-spinner who could turn the
07:01ball away from the left-handers in,
07:03particularly David Miller, Quinton Deacock, they had Ryan Rickleton, those three dangerous patterns.
07:07That's the reason why Washington Sundar had been included.
07:12Okay, same way, without beating around the bush, correct question.
07:16Are India still the favourites to retain the T20 World Cup title?
07:20They were for majority of this tournament, at the start of this tournament, throughout this tournament.
07:24Now South Africa have beaten them.
07:26Are South Africa the favourites now?
07:30Well, South Africa definitely have a head start.
07:33There's no question about it.
07:34When you play the first match of the Super 8 series and you win that, you certainly can give yourself
07:39a head start.
07:39Just like England have done.
07:41England beating the home team, Sri Lanka today.
07:45They've given themselves a head start in that group.
07:47So, yes, now what India will be doing is India will be playing catch-up.
07:51India will be looking over their shoulder all the time because they need to know what, you know,
07:57because now the net run rate will also possibly come into play.
08:00So, therefore, I think, you know, it's important for India to win the matches against Zimbabwe
08:06and against West Indies by big margins.
08:09Yes, those matches really become important for the Indian team.
08:13But to the million-dollar questions, are you right?
08:15Your gut feeling, India still, despite this loss, making the semis?
08:24Yes, I'm confident that they can win the next two matches and make it to the semis.
08:29They win the next two matches, I think they will make it to the semis.
08:32You know, Sri Lankan team playing at home.
08:34And this is the question after this loss.
08:38Are the hosts in Sri Lanka too reliant on that one man I mentioned in,
08:44in the pictures that we were seeing, Patum Nishanka?
08:46He fires the win.
08:48He doesn't fire.
08:49They're in trouble.
08:53Yes, I think a lot of their battles got out to the leading edge.
08:58So, they were obviously looking to play for the turn.
09:00But there was no turn from the England goalers.
09:02And, you know, they were all caught in bold.
09:05So, I think they might have misread the pitch themselves.
09:08Their own pitch.
09:09And that is the reason why they were not able to get the kind of, you know,
09:12partnerships again.
09:13And yes, Nishanka, the man in form.
09:15If he gets out early, obviously, that puts a strain and pressure on the others to follow.
09:19So, even Kusal Mendes, who's been another one who's been in good form, getting out early, didn't help Sri Lanka's
09:25course.
09:25Okay, Sanibai.
09:26Finally, before we let you go, not too many memorable moments for the Indian team in this game today.
09:32But one, of course, was to watch you, a legend of cricket, walk out with that T20 trophy with the
09:40boss of Google, Sundar Pichai.
09:41Both of you brought the trophy there.
09:43Then I heard Sundar Pichai in the commentary saying that, you know, you're his inspiration.
09:48You're his idol growing up.
09:50He had all your pictures, your posters in his room.
09:53Just explain to us the meeting and what is the conversation that was there, that happened between the two of
10:00you.
10:04Well, I've met him before earlier on where he had told me about, you know, having the posters in his
10:10bedroom.
10:11It always feels nice to meet somebody who's been, you know, a fan of yours, a well-wisher of yours.
10:18And somebody who's done so well in his career and done so much in the tech world.
10:25So, yes, I think it was wonderful to meet him again and to take the World Cup trophy.
10:31He, both of us, as we were walking with the trophy, said, I hope, you know, Surya Kumar Yadav will
10:36get his hands on the trophy on the 8th.
10:39And both of us are, I'm sure, praying that, you know, that happens.
10:43Of course, that dream is still alive.
10:45It's the one hiccup that India has had in this T20 World Cup.
10:49But that, by no means, is an indication that the campaign is done or is an indication that India can't
10:56still retain that title.
10:57But, Sani Gavaskar, thank you so much, as always, to take our time and speak to us here on India
11:02Today.
11:02The first reaction that we got to you right here on India Today from the legend that is Mr. Gavaskar.
11:08But not a great day for Indian cricket.
11:10They've had a situation where they were completely outplayed by the opposition.
11:15It was a repeat of the last T20 World Cup final.
11:18But remember, India still have a good chance of making it to the semis.
11:22They still have two games remaining.
11:24One against Zimbabwe.
11:25One against Zimbabwe.
11:26Both teams, India, will go in as the favourites.
11:28You know, in those two encounters.
11:30And if they win, they make it to the semis.
11:32And then it's about doing well on those two big days, semifinals.
11:37And if they make the finals.
11:38That will decide which team then holds the trophy.
11:42So, backing the boys in blue in Sudha Kumar, Yadav and Co.
11:45But I'm afraid that's all the time that we have on this edition of Keep the Cup.
11:49News and updates continue on the other side on India Today.
11:53Thanks so much for watching.
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