Team India lacked a wicket-taker in the league stage game of the T20 Wrld Cup against Pakistan as none of the bowlers could manage to take a wicket. Riding on half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan chased down the target of 152 to kick off the tournament with a win.

While India batsmen couldn’t post a big total, the bowlers also failed to deliver the results. The Indian bowlers will hope to return to form against New Zealand. Ahead of the fixture, noted commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has opined that India need wicket-taking spinners in the playing XI.

Writing for Hindustan Times, Manjrekar has opined that both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are not wicket-takers and are more focused on economy rate. Ashwin stayed on the bench in the opening fixture. Jadeja went for 28 runs in his 4 overs.

“Ashwin, like Jadeja, is not a wicket-taker. Both are more focused on the economy than wickets. I believe in T20s, the spinners’ job is to get wickets and be the game-changer in the middle,” Manjrekar wrote in Hindustan Times.

“The big concern for me is India’s bowling. I know there is merit in the thought that you must back your players after their failures, especially in T20s, but this is easier to do when you are playing a long season of the IPL and not when a couple of defeats mean all chances of winning the World Cup are down the drain.”

Despite struggling against Pakistan, Varun Chakravarthy is likely to keep his place. His mystery factor keeps him ahead of other spinners in the race. Rahul Chahar might also remain on the bench.

Taling of other spots, India aren’t expected to make any changes to the playing XI. Hardik Pandya has started bowling in the nets and could make his comeback to bowling if fit. The India-New Zealand match will be played on October 31 in Dubai. The losing side of the fixture will move closer to being eliminated from the tournament.