Team India’s recent T20I series opener against New Zealand on Friday, January 27th, was a disappointing loss for the Men in Blue. One of the standout negative performances from the Indian team was the bowling of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria had some critical words for the young bowler, stating that he looked “totally out of form” and was unable to find his rhythm during the match.
Arshdeep has struggled for form in T20Is in recent times, and this match was no different. He was taken to task by the New Zealand batters in the death overs and ended up conceding 27 runs off the 20th over, the most by an Indian bowler in the final over of an innings in T20Is. He also started the over with a no-ball, which has been a major cause of concern for the pacer. Despite only playing 24 matches thus far, he holds the unwanted record of bowling the highest number of no-balls in T20Is.
Kaneria also pointed out that Arshdeep is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, but that skill was completely missing during the match. He stated that despite the helpful conditions, the bowler was unable to make use of them to his advantage.
On the other hand, Kaneria had praise for Washington Sundar, who was the standout performer for India with the ball. Sundar scalped the crucial wickets of Finn Allen and Mark Chapman, conceding just 22 runs from his full quota of four overs. Kaneria suggested that skipper Hardik Pandya should have considered starting the bowling with Sundar, as he was very good with his line and length.
In hindsight, it could be argued that India’s team selection and tactics for the match were not optimal. The Men in Blue won the toss and elected to bowl first, thinking that there would be dew around in the second half. However, there wasn’t much dew and the ball spun appreciably for the New Zealand spinners in the second half. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer also opined that skipper Hardik Pandya could have utilized all four overs of part-time spinner Deepak Hooda, given the nature of the turning track in Ranchi.
Overall, the Indian team will have to learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in the upcoming matches of the series. They will have to improve their bowling, especially in the death overs, and make better use of their spin options. Additionally, they will have to read the conditions better and make tactical decisions accordingly.
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