India's strategy: Strengthen the middle-overs spin trap

While Jadeja holds his end, India pushes for more wickets from the other end to win the middle phase

- Rasesh Mandani

Among the spectacular things Jasprit Bumrah does on a field, you are more likely to recall him uprooting the zing bails behind Dawid Malan with his opening burst or yorking Mahmudullah at the death in the 2023 ODI World Cup than his off-cutter that ended Mohammed Rizwan's resistance in the middle overs to peg Pakistan back.

Wickets with the new ball and toe-crushing yorkers are the visually more arresting but often matches are won and lost in the uninteresting middle-overs.

Whether that phase which constitutes 60 percent of a 50-over game should remain untouched is subject to argument, but we'll leave that for another day.

It is in this phase that Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson rule with nudges and steers, late cuts and fine glances. The only way to stop them in their tracks is to get their wicket. With Bumrah in the line-up, breakthroughs come easier. Without him, it can be hard work. India understands that well. "That is where the game can go either side," Rohit Sharma, India captain said on Sunday.

"You try to squeeze in those middle overs, it gives you that chance to not worry so much about the death. In this format, people talk a lot about upfront and the death.