Usman Tariq and Sourav Ganguly [Source: @kash8778, @trscricketx/x.com]When India vs Pakistan comes around, everyone has an opinion and the noise gets louder than a packed stadium. But Sourav Ganguly has stepped in with a straight bat and no sugar-coating as he brushed aside the growing hype around Pakistan’s so-called “mystery” spinner Usman Tariq ahead of the blockbuster T20 World Cup clash in Colombo. Speaking at a Cricket Association of Bengal event, the former India captain made it clear that he isn’t buying into the buzz around Tariq and his unusual pause-and-sling action. According to Dada, India’s batting unit has seen far tougher bowlers in their time and won’t lose sleep over one off-spinner with a slightly different rhythm. “Nothing is difficult” says Dada Sourav Ganguly didn’t beat around the bush and called it exactly how he saw it, insisting that Tariq is being hyped more than he deserves and that technically he is just a straightforward off-spinner with a pause in his action rather than some unplayable mystery package. “Nothing is difficult, he (Tariq) is an off-spinner and he just bowls with a pause. He is an out-an-out off-spinner and India will play him well,” Ganguly said bluntly. Tariq may have picked up 11 wickets in just four T20Is and built a reputation quickly, but Ganguly believes the chatter around him has been blown out of proportion and that India’s experienced batters know how to read spinners and adjust without breaking a sweat. Stick to the winning combination While fans and experts are busy debating whether India should add an extra spinner like Kuldeep Yadav on a Colombo pitch expected to turn, Ganguly has advised the team management to not fix what isn’t broken and stick with the same XI that has been delivering results. According to him, team balance is king in T20 cricket and India cannot afford to weaken their batting depth just to squeeze in another bowler, especially when the current combination already covers all bases. “Axar (Patel), Varun (Chakravarthy), (Jasprit) Bumrah and Arshdeep (Singh) should be the frontline bowlers. I don’t think Rinku (Singh) should be replaced for Kuldeep (Yadav), because you have to take care of the balance in batting department as well. I feel the same team should be played. India will play well,” he explained. With Abhishek Sharma likely to return after recovering from stomach issues and already seen smashing balls in the nets, India’s batting firepower looks ready for the big night. Comparing today’s Pakistan with the golden era Ganguly also offered a reality check when asked about the current Pakistan side and how they stack up against the teams he faced during his playing days, and his answer was as honest as it gets. He admitted that the present lineup doesn’t carry the same aura or intimidation factor as the legendary Pakistan teams filled with match-winners and world-class names who could turn games on their own. “The quality of batsmanship like Inzamam (Ul Haq), Saeed Anwar, Mohammad Yousuf, Wasim (Akram), Waqar (Younis)… that was a different team. This team is not there anymore,” Ganguly said. Recent results back that claim as well, with Pakistan struggling to get the better of India in recent T20 meetings and still searching for consistency on the big stage. Meanwhile, the stage is set in Colombo and all eyes will be on whether Usman Tariq can live up to the hype or whether Ganguly’s prediction comes true and India’s batters treat him like any other off-spinner on the circuit.
