HS16 Team Preview: Caught between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
Captain: Libin John
Let’s begin with some stats. Athul Muraleedharan, HS16’s opener, and extras account for almost 50 percent of the total runs scored by HS16 in the Prem Ranjan Tournament. Surely, this reminds Indian cricket fans about the scenario of the National side in the 1990s. If India has to win, Sachin has to bat well. If HS16 are to win, Athul has to play a good knock. On the bowling front, unfortunately, they don’t seem to have found a Javagal Srinath or Anil Kumble yet. The fact that they have conceded 12.54 runs per over on an average in the tournament clearly signify their poor bowling performance. They have to address these key concerns if they are to progress to the Semi Finals this year.
Last Year’s Story: Semi Finalists.
HS16 took on HS15 in their first match of the tournament and emerged victorious quite comfortably in the end. Bowling first, Libin, for once, lived up to the potential which he always promised, crushing the HS15 batting line-up with his career best figures of 22 for 6. After restricting HS15 to a very easy target of 83 in 10 overs, Athul sealed the match for HS16 with a 25 ball 60* decorated by 5 boundaries and 6 sixes.
Up against the defending champions in their second match, the Scholars, HS16 batted first and played aggressively at the start of the innings. Having sealed their Semi Final spot, it made sense for them to play fearless cricket. With a blistering opening partnership of 39 off 2.4 overs, the platform was set for a big total. But, HS16’s dependency on Athul was highlighted once again, as their innings lost steam after his wicket, leading to a below par score of 95 in 10 overs. Scholars chased down the target with 2 overs to spare, playing it safe and easy.
The Team
Irene’s rise as one of the lead bowlers was the biggest positive for HS16 last year. As she is currently on exchange, HS16 will miss her services badly. Finding a replacement for Irene is going to be the most difficult managerial task this time around. Savio is another player who will miss this year’s tournament due to injury. This means that there is added pressure on Libin to perform. Also, it needs to be seen as to how well Athul and Susmit can play the role of second and third bowler.
The opening partnership between Sai and Athul forms the core of HS16’S batting. Just as they are outside the cricket field, they are very understanding of each other’s abilities and limitations on the field. Sai plays risk free cricket, playing second fiddle in their partnerships, making sure that Athul gets to play as many balls as possible. Libin, one of the very few southpaws in the department, also possess great potential with the bat and has the ability to shift between different gears, thanks to his stroke-play and proactive running between the wickets. Susmit plays the role of a pinchhitter in the side. Down the order, they have the likes of Arvind, Simha, Yogesh, Gokul etc, all of them capable of making contributions with the bat.
Currently, there is a musical chair like situation in fixing the wicket keeper of the side. Sai, Ananthan, Simha and Susmit have kept wickets during practice sessions and none of them have fully convinced the team leadership that he is the right man for the job. As there are very few standout fielders, it needs to be seen how the team optimizes their fielding effort by positioning the right people at the right spots.
Player to Watch Out For
The absence of Irene and Savio coupled with the group of death they have been put into, might induce Sai Chandan Kotu to rethink his batting style. So far, he has played a role for the team by playing it safe and slow. But, this year, that role could change as HS16 will have to attack from both ends. How Sai adapts to the changed scenario is going to define HS16’s Prem Ranjan 2019 campaign to some extent.
Final Words
Literally, HS16 is caught between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. They have to defeat one of the tournament favorites, HS14 or Scholars, to progress to the Semis. It is indeed a challenging situation to be in and the key players of the side like Libin, Athul. Sai and Susmit need to put up a strong show. ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’ And this is surely a test of toughness for HS16.
Article by Biyas Muhammed
Article 19 