After a sensational and quickfire innings, the men in blue have won the three-match T20 series against the Aussies after 9 long years. India won the deciding match of the T20 series against Australia in Hyderabad by 6 wickets. The run machine of India, Virat Kohli, stormed back into form and drove India to a six-wicket victory against Australia in the final match in Hyderabad.
Although India’s primary batting plans are shaping up ahead of the World Cup, the bowling unit of the Indian cricket team is still a concern that might interrupt the winning spree for India’s playing XI. The selectors and management of the Indian cricket team are happy with the sensational performance of the Indian batters, but the Mohali episode has created a lot of speculation around the bowling unit.
The match In Mohali exposed the average performance of India’s bowling unit. The management and the skipper of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma, took notice of the loopholes in the team. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-0-52-0), Yuzvendra Chahal (3.2-0-42-1), Hardik Pandya (2-0-22-0), Umesh Yadav (2-0-27-2) all the bowlers of India’s playing XI leaked runs in the first match of the T20 series against Australia in Mohali.
After the match, the captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma, clearly pinpointed the loopholes in the team and criticised the bowling unit for their poor performance that led to India’s dreadful defeat in the first match of T20I against Australia. “I don’t think we bowled well. Great performance by the batters, but the bowlers of the team were not quite there.” The captain said.
In the next T20I match against Australia in Nagpur, the management dropped Bhuvaneshwar Kumar from the list and the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who had been out of cricketing action post his back injury, made a smashing comeback in India’s playing XI. Interestingly, Bumrah was introduced after the powerplay in fifth over. The pace king of India knocked out Aaron Finch with his signature Yorker.
Addressing the average performance of Indian bowlers which led to the team’s early exit from the Asia Cup and also resulted in a dreadful defeat in the first T20I against Australia in Mohali, the captain of the Indian cricket team said, “There are a lot of areas, particularly, our death bowling coming to the party,”
The captain also mentioned about the much-anticipated comeback of Harshal and Bumrah. “They’ve made a comeback after quite a while and I’m sure these two will add their own groove to the pitch.”
Backing Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s poor performance in the death over leading to the dreadful defeat of India in the first match in Mohali during the T20I, the skipper mentioned that Kumar has had good days more than the bad days in all these years of his cricketing career.
“I don’t think he’s short on confidence, you can have bad games but what is really important is how you come back from those bad games.” The captain added.
Furthermore, Rohit Sharma mentioned that the team is currently working at strengthening its performance ahead of the World Cup. The captain also mentioned that the primary focus right now is to shape the bowling unit of India’s playing XI. The World Cup starts on October 16.
