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Finishers need to step up

India's loss to NZ has exposed team's over-dependency on top three batsmen and likes of Raina, Yuvraj will need to stand up against Pakistan

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India’s Suresh Raina (right) and Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik exchange greetings during their training session in Kolkata on Thursday
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Against New Zealand in their opening loss, favourites India were reduced to a unit that seems too have many finishers but none to depend upon when really required.

A morale-crushing 47-run loss to the Black Caps in the World T20 opener on Tuesday has not only ended the hosts' seven-match winning streak but also thrown the spotlight back on Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh to step up in times of crisis.

The Indians arrived in Nagpur as favourites but landed in Kolkata in a precarious situation with dented confidence and a fragile mindset. Every match will be a must-win from here on.

On Thursday, both teams came to the ground for optional practice. But while nine Pakistani players came within hours after finishing their first game on Wednesday, only three Indians – Raina, Ajinkya Rahane and Pawan Negi – made use of the option.

Raina had a long batting session, mostly playing slow turning deliveries of Negi and other net bowlers. Raina made just one run each against Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 and New Zealand, when the team needed more from the experienced southpaw after an early collapse.

Yuvraj is increasingly looking a pale shadow of his former self. Having been abruptly re-inducted into the team recently after his average show in domestic cricket, Yuvraj's body language during four-run knock against the Kiwi spinners must have given the selectors a reason re-think about their selection.

New Zealand once again exposed India's over dependence on the top three – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. In the 10 games that India have won this year, Kohli featured in eight of those, hitting 352 runs at a strike rate of 134 with four fifties.

During the time the trio kept winning games for India, Dhoni's ploy of playing with just finishers was not questioned. But as the Indian batting was tested, his own position has as batsman became vulnerable, speculations over his quitting captaincy at the end of World T20 getting louder each day.

On the other hand, having lost to India on account of their batsmen's non-performance in the Asia Cup, Pakistan must have been preparing to tackle the yorkers of Jasprit Bumrah. The 22-year-old Gujarat pacer has been creating problems for almost all the opponents with his deceptive action and yorker-length deliveries.

Top Pakistan batsmen – Umar Akmal, Sharjeel Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik --- were seen practising yorkers deliberately bowled to them.

The visitors know well that however hostile their bowlers can be against India, the batsmen need to chip in with a respectable total to give any chance to them. And for that to happen, Bumrah's four overs need to be played with utmost care.

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