New Delhi: “We want to play freely. We want to focus on what we can do as a team and take the game on.”

This was Rohit Sharma speaking after India’s victory over Australia in their final Super Eight clash of the T20 World Cup in Gros Islet on Monday. But this could have been from any time since he took over as India captain in November 2021. For he has been consistent with his messaging to the players — “take the game on and play freely” — in white-ball cricket in these three years. In Mumbai street lingo, Rohit’s clarion call would perhaps read something like, “bindaas khelna yaar”.

It’s not led to execution, however, from India’s players on the big day. The most prominent examples of timidity with the bat hurting them were the ODI World Cup final against Australia last year and the T20 World Cup semi-final against England in 2022.

To Rohit’s credit, he hasn’t wavered from his demand. Whether it was the ODI World Cup at home or the ongoing T20 extravaganza in the Caribbean, Rohit has walked the talk himself, often blazing away and setting the tempo for India’s batting.

Where he erred in the 50-over event was in not carrying on and notching up bigger scores. It’s easier said than done when one is constantly looking for the attacking option, but Rohit was able to crack the code against Australia on Monday — he found a way to unleash his shots from ball one and yet stay till the 12th over to contribute a match-winning 92 off 41 deliveries as India went on to pile up 205/5.

The litmus test of India’s approach with the bat, however, will come against defending champions England in the semi-final in Guyana on Thursday. The ODI World Cup final defeat to Australia may have caused more heartache for India, but it was against England in the semi-final two years ago that Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid suffered their most resounding loss. Sent into bat, India thought they had a competitive score on the board after making 168/6. England knocked off the runs in 16 overs without losing a wicket.

We haven’t witnessed England’s batters exploding against the big teams in the Caribbean quite like they did to India’s misfortune in Australia. But make no mistake about the ammunition they possess. In Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone, they have a top six as destructive as any going around.

India’s batters, therefore, cannot afford to go into their shell at any stage on Thursday. To be fair, they haven’t so far. It’s inappropriate to dwell on their games in the initial phase because the tracks in New York were antithetical to aggressive strokeplay. But ever since they moved to the Caribbean for the Super Eights, their batters have adhered to a desirable tempo. In all three fixtures, against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Australia, India batted first and scored 181/8, 196/5 and 205/5 respectively.

“Honestly, not a lot has changed since 2022. We have tried to play with a free mind, T20s and ODIs as well,” Rohit told reporters on the eve of the semi-final. “We want to be a smart team. I have kept things simple personally and for the players as well. We have done well with role clarity. Everyone knows they need to get the job done.”

India’s approach in this tournament has been embodied by how Virat Kohli has gone about his business. He may not have the scores to show for it, but his intent can’t be faulted. If he was to nit-pick and live up to his high standards, he would have wanted to capitalise on the starts he had against Afghanistan (24) and Bangladesh (38). Getting out while looking for a boundary, however, comes with the territory in this format.

Another facet of this contest is India’s greater firepower with the ball. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav weren’t around in Australia for different reasons. With both back in the mix, India’s attack carries considerable wicket-taking threat, compelling opponents to sometimes be watchful for as many as eight of the 20 overs.

While Bumrah’s phenomenal show isn’t surprising — he is simply a genius — Kuldeep, too, has become a bowler for all formats and conditions. The left-arm wrist spinner wasn’t used in the New York leg in conditions that were loaded in favour of the pacers, but that is no reflection on his ability — greater batting depth called for left-arm orthodox spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel to be used. In the Caribbean, Kuldeep’s guile, control and street-smartness have all come to the fore.

Provided the inclement weather doesn’t severely hamper proceedings in Guyana, the fundamental question though remains this — can India play the brand of cricket that has got them to the business end without losing a game?

The answer is likely to define India’s fate over the next few days.