India’s next match will be against Pakistan in the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and their only concern is current spin bowling sensation Usman Tariq, whose arm action has been criticized but is worth discussing after his immense success with the ball.
India have made a winning start to their campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup with wins against the United States and the Namibian team. However, one common factor in both the matches has been the weakness of the Indian batsmen against the spinners.
Indian batsman Ishan Kishan scored a explosive 61 runs and helped India in the powerplay. He gave them a great start and later a half-century from Hardik Pandya helped them recover from the collapse in the middle overs and score runs.
Srivatsa Goswami cites the differences between Gerhard Erasmus and Osman Tariq
After India’s defeat against Gerhard Erasmus, many veterans have compared the Namibian skipper to Pakistan’s new spin bowling sensation Usman Tariq. It has been claimed about him that he has a similar bowling action with rotation.
Among those who have made comparisons, former Indian wicketkeeper batsman Srivatsa Goswami has said that there is nothing in common between his action and that of the Pakistan spinner, except the fact that they look alike.
He has created angles and shown that the trajectory of Osman Tarik’s release point is very different to that of Gerhard Erasmus. He once again highlights that Tariq takes a brief pause before delivering anything; However, that is not the case for the Namibian captain.
Goswami had earlier cited football penalty rules and claimed that such stoppages in the run-up should not be allowed even as per cricket rules. However, the Pakistan spinner has been cleared of any charges of chucking by the officials.
See some people comparing the work of Gerard Erasmus to the work of Osman Tariq.
one without stopping and one with stopping
All I want to say is:-
Maintain good sense. #worldcup2026 pic.twitter.com/jER2gU3QMQ-Shrivatsa Goswami (@Shrivatsa1) 12 February 2026
Indian batsmen had to struggle against the spin of Erasmus
When Ishan Kishan and Tilak Verma took charge of the Indian innings, they looked in good form and did not feel threatened by any of their spinners until the captain came out to bowl. Gerhard Erasmus was not only at his best keeping wickets but he also bowled economical spells.
Erasmus took four wickets in his spell, which included big wickets of set opener Ishan Kishan, brilliant batsman Tilak Verma, experienced all-rounder Hardik Pandya and finally Axar Patel.
While Erasmus provided many variations, he also distributed the balls in three different ways. He had a stock delivery and had a superb wide-arm release, which often kept the ball low and resulted in overspin.
Indian batsmen cite Erasmus spell as preparation against Pakistan spinners
India needed something to prepare for the dominant Pakistani challenge and especially their mystery spinner Usman Tariq. Tariq also has a wide-arm release point and generates extra speed on the ball with his action.
Many Indian batsmen have faced Erasmus with some degree of dominance, as they said he could be the best preparation for Pakistan’s Tariq. Ishan Kishan said that the preparation part has been completed and now they will just watch some more videos.
India has been exposed in front of the spinners, as they have lost a total of 8 wickets in the very beginning of the ICC T20 World Cup. Apart from Tariq, Pakistan has four other spinners in the form of Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub.
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