Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan says India’s assault has change into “dependent” on pacer Jasprit Bumrah they usually must discover the “right balance” within the ongoing T20 World Cup by including a spinner and bowling just a few overs to Hardik Pandya.
Indian bowlers couldn’t take a single wicket within the first match of their marketing campaign as Pakistan openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam chased down a goal of 152 runs to simply obtain a 10-wicket win over India of their World Cup match. It was the primary victory.
“The team I am concerned with (bowling) in this regard is India. Jasprit Bumrah is a match-winner but he seems to be a bit dependent on him on the bowling side at the moment,” wrote Muralitharan in his column within the ICC.
India went with three quick bowlers in opposition to Pakistan and Muralitharan feels that skipper Virat Kohli may contemplate including Ravichandran Ashwin within the taking part in XI and get just a few overs from all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who performed purely within the first sport. Played as a batsman.
“They may have performed with a leg-spinner or perhaps Ravichandran Ashwin within the staff. It might be a case of happening two quick bowlers and counting on Hardik Pandya to bowl.
“It’s about finding the right balance and not relying too much on Bumrah.”
Muralitharan, who’s considered one of many best gamers to have performed the sport with 800 Test and 534 ODI wickets, believes Pakistan are in the perfect place to win the title.
“When it involves the perfect place of the staff, I feel Pakistan is trying good as they’ve already overwhelmed two of the strongest groups of their group in India and New Zealand.
“He has so much talent, which he always has, but like West Indies, in the past he had days where he played really poorly.”
2009 champions Pakistan are unbeaten within the match thus far.
“This team feels different. I am not sure where it came from but they have the pace and world class bowling attack,” wrote Sri Lankan.
“The batting is constructed round Babar Azam, considered one of their world class batsmen, however then there may be the expertise of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez who’ve been taking part in worldwide cricket for 15 years, in addition to some good kids. Traditionally they have not been a powerful fielding staff, however that has modified as properly.”
Muralitharan believes that the appointment of former Australian opener Matthew Hayden because the batting coach has helped the staff lots.
“However the biggest thing for him has been the input of Matthew Hayden. He really understands the game from his playing days and seems to have been a great mentor to the team. It’s a big factor in how well they do.” Looks like,” he wrote.
The 49-year-old Sri Lankan additionally praised Pakistan’s bowling assault.
“One factor has change into clear within the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 that the perfect groups have a powerful bowling assault.
Pakistan has been harmful due to the tempo of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi. He can bowl yorkers and gradual balls at a pace of greater than 140 kmph.
“The extra pace makes a big difference in these conditions and then it is about spinners who can stick to one line and length.”
Muralitharan was additionally impressed by the Afghanistan spin duo of Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan, who bowled out Scotland for 60 throughout their opening match.
“I am amazed by the Afghanistan spinners, they have been my bowler’s choice so far,” he stated.
“It is true that they had been most likely taking part in one of many weaker groups however the way in which Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan bowled in opposition to Scotland was unbelievable? The batsmen had been mesmerized.
“If they can bowl like this in other matches, they can be a real threat.”
A member of the 1996 50-over World Cup profitable staff, Muralitharan stated that the Afghanistan staff “reminds him a little bit of Sri Lanka when we won the 50-over ICC Men’s World Cup in 1996.”
“When I think back to 1996, we had a lot of experienced batsmen and then some good young bowlers. The conditions helped us, we were very strong at home in the 1990s and we knew how to play the conditions. This was not a fluke, we had talent,” he wrote.
“The identical is true of Afghanistan, you’ve got Mohammad Nabi who has been taking part in for a very long time after which some promising younger batsmen? Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz did properly in opposition to Scotland.
“That is with out contemplating the spinners. He has a variety of expertise of taking part in franchise cricket in brief kind. So I do not perceive why he cannot be the darkish horse on this match.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
