“Firstly, we are going to look at match-ups,” said India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey at the pre-match press conference before the match against the Netherlands. “We look at the batting combination of the teams we are playing. You do your own homework—which players are struggling, which type of bowlers their batters are struggling against. So that is one aspect. The other thing which works in favour of Ashwin is that he can contribute with the bat. So we will look at both these things. When you choose Ashwin, you look at what he brings to the team in terms of balance and composition. But every venue poses a different challenge, every wicket will be different, and we might have to alter our combination, looking at that particular wicket. If need be, we can even play four or even five seamers. And we are quite fluid on that front.”

With the reliance on pacers increasing, the need to manage them better has risen as well. Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the only two pacers to have had a long preparation for the World Cup. Arshdeep is still in his first year of international cricket, and Shami has just recovered from Covid-19. Mhambrey elaborated on the work they did on Shami. “It started off when he went to the NCA. We wanted to have a look at how he felt, what shape he was in, assess the loads and numbers there. And whatever feedback we’ve got, we are pretty happy about it. In his case, he is a very experienced and seasoned bowler. You know what you are going to get from him, that's for sure. But the important bit was, how he turned up after the Covid. And we’re pretty happy with the recovery.

“Out here, he was in a good space. Whatever discussions we’ve had, he was looking forward to this tournament. And starting with the first over that he bowled in Australia, he looked in great rhythm. And that also gave us the confidence of knowing what you are going to get from Shami. He is a champion bowler, no doubt.”

Arshdeep was the real revelation, coming up with two stinging deliveries that removed Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan early in Pakistan’s innings. “If you follow him for the last couple of years, look at the way he’s performed, I think the one thing that really stands out with that kid is his ability to break pressure,” said Mhambrey. “He does hard work in the IPL, bowling in two different phases—Powerplay and death overs. And the composure that he’s shown, the clarity or thought process that he’s shown, he’s a great kid.

“He is the kind of guy who likes to talk a lot, he has a chat with the other senior guys. I have seen him discuss a lot with Bhuvi (Kumar) and Shami as well. Those guys have played out here. So it’s kind of a learning that he’s taken, he’s trying to implement that in the games. I’ll give that credit to him as well. Obviously having a chat and understanding what is required is important. But to go out there and execute it and do it yourself, that’s where individual skills come in.”

Even though spinners may have a limited role in this World Cup, Mhambrey said they will still wield relevance, especially in the slog overs. “I think the end overs have been a challenge for other teams as well. In the last game itself, people have gone for runs. For us, we have identified the bowlers, who are going to be our specialists as well. Having said that, you have to be adaptable. You got to be able to have other options available, in case required. They might not be seam bowlers, they might be spinners. I think you are going to put in those challenges, you are going to think differently at times. But we have those bowlers, we have our plans sorted.

“There’s no particular condition that you are going to look at, you don’t expect to have turning tracks over here. Maybe you will have some tracks that will help a little bit of spin—we will look into it too. As we go into the tournament, there will be a lot of wear and tear on those wickets. When we feel having an additional spinner will help, we will go for it.” Mhambrey also said they are not looking to rest any players. “I think when you have momentum going into a tournament, you need individuals to be in form as well. And some haven’t gotten an opportunity, so every game becomes important.”