CHENNAI: If the first warm-up tie against New Zealand was anything to go by, India can afford to be bullish ahead of their Champions Trophy campaign. The Men in Blue go into the tournament with a variety of pace riches that looked good at The Oval on Sunday. The seamers shared seven wickets as the Kiwis folded up for 189. India eventually won the rain-hit encounter via D/L method.
Mohammed Shami was the principal wrecker, as he finished with 3/47 in eight overs. His scalps included top-order batsmen Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson. Given that his last ODI appearance was in the 2015 World Cup semifinals and he is coming off a long injury lay-off, the skipper must have been happy with what he saw.
Shami did little of note in the IPL, picking up four wickets for over eight runs an over. However, his ability to swing the ball both ways and control over reverse swing makes him special. He showed that he hasn’t lost the knack for picking up crucial wickets, even though he does not have the best of economy rates (5.64 abroad).
“The most important thing for a pacer, who has missed a large chunk of action, is to get back rhythm. Obviously getting wickets is a major boost, but I’m sure Shami and the team will be pleased to see him back,” Paras Mhambrey, India A bowling coach, told Express. Mhambrey has worked individually with Shami as well as Hardik Pandya.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, coming on the back of a successful IPL, grabbed 3/28. The medium pacer has evolved his skill-set, becoming a handy death bowler. “Bhuvi has been an exception. He has tried to improve in areas he was lacking. First, he improved his pace and now he has developed those handy yorkers and knuckleballs. The IPL is a very competitive event where batsmen rule the roost. Being the most successful bowler speaks a lot and his form will be a huge boost for India,” Mhambrey added.
Ravindra Jadeja was among the wickets as well (2/8) and his nagging line will be crucial. Known initially as effective only in home conditions, the left-arm spinner has come a long way. He was the most successful bowler in the 2013 Champions Trophy with 12 wickets and economy rate of 3.75.
“Jadeja has finally come out of Ashwin’s shadow and his all-round ability cannot be discounted. He should definitely be included in the XI,” former India spinner Sairaj Bahutule said.
All eyes were on Ashwin, who went for runs and didn’t finish his quota of overs. However, having not played for some time (sports hernia), it will be imperative for Ashwin to regain swagger.
“Ashwin has not had the best of times with the white ball as compared to his exploits with the red one. However, this break might be a blessing in disguise.
He must have trained hard and will have a few tricks up his sleeve. He knows what is expected of him and I’m sure he will deliver,” Bahutule added.
With the likes of Umesh Yadav, Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah adding variety and death bowling ability, the holders tick most boxes in this department.
Brief scores: New Zealand 189 in 38.4 ovs (Ronchi 66, Neesham 46 n.o, Shami 3/47, Bhuvneshwar 3/28, Jadeja 2/8) lost to India 129/3 in 26 ovs (Dhawan 40, Kohli 52 n.o) (D/L method).
ayantan@newindianexpress.com
