Team India’s bowling got exposed in the first match played against New Zealand in Auckland. The inexperience of these bowlers came to the fore. When two bowlers are making their debut and the ground is small, it is very important to have a sixth bowling option. The lack of wicket-taking bowlers was clearly visible in this match.
Earlier, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma also used to provide many options for the captain by bowling, but on Friday, it was not so. Now, not having a sixth bowling option proves to be the biggest concern for the team. This is what happened in Auckland.If Team India scored 306 runs; Indian bowlers should have been able to defend that total. This performance is a lesson for the remaining two matches, where the Indian batsmen will have to target at least 325 runs against New Zealand. Although it is common to score 300 runs today, it is also a fact that it is not possible for batsmen to score above 300 in every match. It is obvious that the bowlers will also have to fulfill their responsibilities well.
Even in India, these many runs are usually scored. Among the Indian bowlers, Umran Malik has raised great hopes for the future by bowling well. He bowled at a good pace. As far as the batting is concerned, while Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer are playing to cement their place in the team, Williamson and Tom Latham have their places confirmed. The team management will have to do the work of boosting the confidence of our players. There is no clarity regarding the playing XI in India due to teams in all three formats. It is a good thing that many players are getting called up to Team India. I’m just waiting for the young players to take advantage of these opportunities, but I’m concerned that too much cricket will harm the players. The scheduling committee of the BCCI should ensure that the series is scheduled in a planned manner. Secondly, seeing the way foreign players play sweep and reverse sweep against Indian bowlers, our bowlers do not get that much of an idea of line length, nor do field placements look ideal in view of reverse sweep.
The author is a Dronacharya Award winner besides being the coach of Virat Kohli