Mumbai: Cricket is team work, the players come next. But the situation is a tad different ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal clash between India and West Indies here at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh – who twisted his ankle during the fixture against Australia – is drawing most of the attention.
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On Monday, Team India called up Manish Pandey as his cover and the next day, the Karnataka batsman trained hard at the nets while the rest of the team took a day off.
Ajinkya Rahane, who is warming the bench since the advent of the tournament, joined him.
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(Photo: Rajesh Jadhav/ DC)
Rahane and Pandey’s Tuesday exercise led to speculations about Yuvraj’s availability for the Caribbean test.
(Photo: Rajesh Jadhav/ DC)
Yuvraj, India’s match-winner in the past ICC tournaments, did not pull off anything incredible in the ongoing tournament but he kept the scoreboard ticking.
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The knock of 24 (against Pakistan) and 21 (against Australia) may not sound delicious but at that point – when India lost crucial wickets – the team needed him to hang around and build a partnership.
On top of that, he picked up the key wicket of Australia skipper Steve Smith in Mohali off his first delivery.
Pandey and Rahane have nothing to prove in the T20 format considering their stupendous IPL record. But Yuvraj adds as the fifth bowler and brings in tons of experience.
(Photo: Rajesh Jadhav/ DC)
Will he turn out for one last time to take India through to another final? It remains to be seen.
