CHENNAI: India pulled off a highway robbery under lights against England in Pune thanks to skipper Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav. The miraculous chase notwithstanding, there are chinks to be ironed out ahead of the next game in Cuttack. Most notably in death bowling.
The hosts had done reasonably to keep England to 235/4 after 40 overs considering the strong start the visitors got off to. It was a calculated assault from Jason Roy up top as he plundered new ball bowlers Umesh Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Joe Root started slowly but soon enough, got into the groove.
After Root fell in the 42nd over, the score read 244/5 and Kohli must have smelt the chance to keep the score below 300. But Ben Stokes’s assault on Yadav and designated death bowler Jasprit Bumrah meant the end was brisk as England went from 244/5 to 317/6 in 5.3 overs.
Stats don’t lie. India bowlers conceded 105 in the last eight overs which included 22 extras (four no-balls), the second highest England have managed in an away ODI. Bumrah, in his eagerness to bowl yorkers, ended up delivering three waist-high full tosses, the follow-up free hits to which were duly dispatched.
“The bowlers tried to do too much. Bumrah, in particular, was guilty of trying to bowl yorkers all the time. India is playing an ODI after a gap of almost two-and-a-half months, so certain errors are bound to appear,” former India pacer L Balaji told Express.
“Cricket has evolved a lot and the IPL has contributed to batsmen from other countries doing well in the subcontinent. With all the rule changes nowadays like batting powerplay and two new balls, bowlers are always at a disadvantage. It is imperative for them to stick to basics when the going gets tough.
“Someone like Bumrah can’t always rely on his unorthodox action to fool batsmen. His main weapon is the yorker but he needs to use it efficiently and try and keep the batsman guessing. He needs to use the crease more and work out angles like Mitchell Starc. If he bowls from wide and then around the wicket, batsmen will have more to think about rather than just worrying about toe-crushers,” Balaji added.
Even the performance numero uno spinner R Ashwin left much to be desired. Kohli has used Ashwin as the ace up his sleeve in Tests. But the off-spinner’s figures of 63/0 in eight overs was his worst in ODIs in which he has bowled more than five overs. The runs conceded was also the joint-most he has in an ODI without taking a wicket. His last four overs cost 43.
“The Test match Ashwin is a different beast to the ODI one. His around the wicket negative line and constant variations did not help matters. He just needs to calm down and remind himself how he has become the best bowler in the world. Coach Anil Kumble and Kohli need to sit down and talk to him and remind him of the importance of his stock delivery,” former India spinner Maninder Singh opined.
Maninder praised Hardik, who was the pick of the India bowlers. “He himself admitted that he needs to control his exuberance. Someone who is honest enough to admit his mistakes in public will definitely keep improving.”
ayantan@newindianexpress.com