Gavaskar's simple fix for Abhishek: Take a single, get off the mark

Sunil Gavaskar suggested Abhishek Sharma take a single to break out of the 'zero' block. "He shouldn't force himself to play big shots across the line. Take a single and get off the mark. Even four dot balls don't matter," the former India captain advised.

The opener did hit a boundary, ending his sequence of ducks in the World Cup, but he and his side sank against South Africa. Abhishek managed two more boundaries but could not wriggle out of his slump. Previously struggling against off-spinners, he found himself challenged by South Africa's pacers bowling wide and slow. It's clear the young opener needs to evolve as he's in danger of being sorted out by the opposition.

The Indian coaching staff differed on how to address the situation. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate pointed to Abhishek's preparation being hampered by food poisoning. "When you score three zeros that is going to start weighing on you. He looks a little bit short and our job is to pull that right. We've got four days to do that."

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak disagreed: "I think it's not like a struggle. If you say a lot of things to the batsman at this time, it is more beneficial to not say anything. Every player has such a slack period of 2-3 matches. I don't think you will be able to tell him in two days and change him. If anything, you will put more doubts in his mind. It is all about him watching the ball better."

Abhishek, known for his explosive batting, has been unusually quiet. His scratchy 15 against South Africa followed three ducks earlier in the tournament.

Coach Zubin Bharucha framed the issue within T20's inherent unpredictability: "The Abhishek Sharma conundrum exists within this very cauldron. It challenges the traditional notion of 'form.' In a format where a player can swing from zero to a hundred on any given day, the idea of form becomes almost redundant. Players must grow comfortable with the oscillation between failure and cashing in."

"For Abhishek, it would be far more productive not to equate success by bashing ball after ball in the nets, but instead to focus on walking out with the same fearless mindset that has brought him recent success," said Bharucha, who has also worked with Sanju Samson—a potential contender for Abhishek's place.

The situation brings to mind Michael Jordan's words: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and miss. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Abhishek has failed all four innings so far in this World Cup. Perhaps that is precisely why there is hope he can succeed in the games to come.