‘IPL shored up India’s powerplay bowling’
POSITIVES After India’s 21 series win in T20s, pacer Bhuvi says the league has transformed Indian bowlers’ approach
that the top three in both formats managed to lay the foundation.
Raina was sublime on Saturday night, playing a knock that could eventually see him get considered for the ODI team. His idea, as he confessed, has been to milk the powerplay overs. It has been easier than for the Proteas batsmen, who have come unstuck against India’s bowling.
“Our bowlers bowled lots of variations. You need a good start in the first six overs, our bowlers did tremendously well and they bowled in the good areas,” said Bhuvneshwar.
There is little doubt that the Indian bowlers’ experience of bowling in IPL has made them better. Till a few years back, Bhuvneshwar was a bowler who could swing the ball upfront but was fodder towards the end. However, IPL seems to have turned him into an excellent death bowler and he blossomed in the role at Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On surfaces that have been two-paced and haven’t afforded swing and movement, bowlers needed to be smart, especially at the death, and Bhuvneshwar wasn’t found short on that.
The women, despite not having played IPL, too used the change of pace well to trouble the Proteas women. South Africa women’s captain Dane Van Niekerk admitted that India were better on that front.
Brief scores: India 172-7 in 20 overs (S Dhawan 47, S Raina 43, H Pandya 21, J Dala 3-35, C Morris 2-43) bt South Africa 165-6 in 20 overs (JP Duminy 55, C Jonker 49, D Miller 24, B Kumar 2-24, S Raina 1-27) by 7 runs
Rohit Sharma will lead India in the upcoming T20 tri-series in Sri Lanka with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday resting several top names for the tour, including Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
A 15-member squad was named for the tournament where Bangladesh is the third side.
There were a number of changes made to the squad that was named for the tour to South Africa with skipper Kohli and Dhoni among those who have been rested.
The others to get a break are Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
PERFECT RECORD
Although Rohit has been going through a rough patch, he holds a perfect record as captain while leading the side in T20s.
After Kohli made way on Saturday owing to a back injury, Rohit led the side in the third T20 against South Africa.
He scored just 11 but managed to help his side emerge victorious, thus joining Misbah-ul-haq, Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed and Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga as the sixth captain in history to win their first four matches as captain.