It can be a T20 tournament that can be completed in a single evening. In the case of India, that night was against South Africa. It was not merely about a loss of 76 runs, but it changed the tide, put a squeezer on the qualification and put a magnifying glass on individual performances.
Abhishek Sharma is at the centre of that scrutiny.
He was the embodiment of the aggressive identity of India in the powerplay before the start of the World Cup. Bowlers readied himself to his purpose. The attack was anticipated too soon. It is only that expectation that made him valuable.
Tournaments are not conducted on reputation.
He was already being pressured by three ducks. It did not seem relief when he finally made 15 in the Super 8 conflict, but seemed to be hesitation. Not due to the quantity, but due to the rhythm. The instinctive rhythm he formerly employed in batting appeared to have been broken.
It is no longer a technical question. It is psychological.
The T20 cricket requires the quick decision-making. When a batter starts to consider the survival rather than the impact, the tempo is altered. The game played by Abhishek is instinctual. Once instinct sinks under the shadow of precaution the slightest scores seem to weigh more than they really do.
The case in India has given it a sense of urgency. A low net run rate does not only indicate that future matches will not be a mere winning exercise but a winning one with conviction. In this case, openers establish the emotionally colored atmosphere. Dressing-room belief is often determined by a certain feeling of confidence.
The next refers more to how Abhishek developed than his previous centuries had done before. We do not remember great T20 players because they can start fearlessly, but because they carry on regardless of what happens when the rhythm is gone.
The change is not a situation that necessitates reinvention. It can just be a matter of waiting in a couple of deliveries, definition of role, and confidence in capabilities. The hardest step to take in T20 is sometimes not swinging more, but waiting.
The way to the semi-finals is also open but narrower in India. When Abhishek finds a way back to his natural speed, the story changes right away. Form of this type may vary during one over.
The tournament is not only trying right now, but it is trying more. It is testing composure. And the answer of Abhishek to that test might make the campaign of India.
