Prep for Pakistan? Gerhard Erasmus gives India a taste of Usman Tariq's unorthodoxy

IND vs NAM, T20 World Cup: Gerhard Erasmus' unorthodox spell stalled India's pursuit of a 250-plus total in Delhi, but his variations may have offered a timely preview of the sterner spin examination awaiting them against Pakistan and much-talked-about Usman Tariq in Colombo on Sunday.

India posted 209 for 9 in their 20 overs — a powerful batting effort against Namibia in their T20 World Cup clash in Delhi, driven largely by the top order and a late push from the lower middle order. IND vs NAM T20 World Cup Scorecard

They stormed to 86 in the powerplay, racing away in the first six overs. Then came a lull. Between overs eight and 12, India managed just 20 runs from 30 deliveries. That was when Namibia’s spinners — captain Gerhard Erasmus and Bernard Scholtz — tightened the screws and dragged the contest back.

The pair combined for eight overs, returning outstanding figures of 5 for 61. Erasmus, whose clever side-arm variations evoked memories of Kedar Jadhav, finished with a superb 4 for 20 — the best figures by a spinner at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in T20Is.

More significantly, Erasmus may have offered India a preview of what awaits them on Sunday: Pakistan’s Usman Tariq.

Tariq has been in the headlines in recent months because of his unconventional action. The off-spinner, who has a hypermobile (double-jointed) elbow that prevents him from fully straightening his arm, a trait once associated with Muttiah Muralitharan, has been taking wickets consistently in T20 cricket.

What makes him particularly dangerous is his diagonal run-up and exaggerated two-to-three-second pause at the crease, which completely disrupt a batter’s timing and rhythm. Add to that his ability to bowl deceptive carrom balls, skiddy arm balls and subtle away-drift at a modest pace of 75–80 kph, and he becomes a high-impact mystery spinner capable of forcing even set batters into fidgety errors and mistimed strokes.