Had things gone according to script, the MA Chidambaram Stadium would have been the boiling pot of possibilities ahead of an India-Australia T20 World Cup clash. But though that isn’t happening this year, there’s no shortage of intrigue 48 hours ahead of India’s second Super Eight match here.

Instead of Australia, it’s Zimbabwe who will be padding up against the home team. But there’s no way of playing down the contest. Neither can the Africans be shooed away as minnows, nor can the mighty defending champions be sure of their dominance.

Post the humiliation at the hands of South Africa, India stare at an unceremonious exit from the competition, even as the Zimbabweans, despite the hammering they were subjected to by the West Indies, weave dreams of a semi-final ticket from Group 1.

With the axe hanging treacherously over Team India’s head, the Ishan Kishans and the Tilak Varmas swung their bats with sword-like ferocity at practice here on Tuesday.

But news isn’t that Tilak, who is desperately seeking the route back to his street-smart batting style, was tonking ball after ball over the midwicket region at the Chepauk. A more interesting bit of information is that Tilak and Ishan Kishan were the first pair of batters to take the nets on Tuesday.

Adding some more twist to the almost five-hour-long practice session, the two were followed by Sanju Samson.

Where was Abhishek Sharma? He was bowling his left-arm spin instead. He did bat, but much later.

That’s not all. Rinku Singh was absent from the training session, with sources claiming that he has returned home for a family emergency.

Are the events aligned for a change in Team India’s plans for the crucial match against Zimbabwe, one that they need to win by a big margin?

If Rinku is not part of the XI, Samson will easily walk in. But the question is, which position will he bat in?
Another way of putting it would be — what will be India’s batting order on Thursday? That sounds more apt because, who knows, India might decide to rejig their order right from the top.

Tilak was the hands-down winner in terms of the big hits at practice on Tuesday, as some of his slog sweeps landed high up in the stands.

Who wasn’t hitting them as sweetly at the nets? That would be skipper Suryakumar Yadav. One of his pulls was caught by Ishan in the adjoining net.