‘We’ve to create pressure with dot balls’

I think we’re a bit different. Our bowling attack is much more of a containing bowling attack. We create pressure. We don’t have a Chris Morris and Pat Cummins type of attack that’s going to bowl 150kmph and blast people out. We’ve to create the pressure with dot balls which is what worked for us last year.

Gujarat Lions’ bowling woes seems to be the top most concern for the team think-tank. There has been a drastic drop in the intensity in bowling department with the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo as Gujarat Lions struggled to take wickets in their first two games of the IPL-10.

Against Kolkata Knight Riders, GL did not manage to find a single breakthrough. In their last match against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad, GL were successful in claiming just one wicket.

Taking wickets at regular intervals is crucial to thwart the momentum of the batting team. “I think we’re a bit different. Our bowling attack is much more of a containing bowling attack. We create pressure. We don’t have a Chris Morris and Pat Cummins type of attack that’s going to bowl 150kmph and blast people out. We’ve to create the pressure with dot balls which is what worked for us last year.

We ended up top of the table with the pretty much the same bowlers we’ve got this year. So we’ve just to get that combination right,” Gujarat Lions bowling coach Heath Streak told reporters ahead of their third IPL-10 clash against Rising Pune Supergiant.

The team balance is also one of the areas that GL would like to rework their strategy as they have been going with four overseas batsmen in their first two matches.

“Last season, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shivil Kaushik, Jadeja bowled exceptionally well for us. It hasn’t quite clicked so far this season. So yes, down the line, we may have to look at the other options. And also, possibly the option of playing another overseas bowling option, now that Jadeja comes in. Definitely, the balance is something that we’ve got (to work out with) two exceptionally all-round bowling options in James Faulkner and Andrew Tye, so they all will come into consideration,” said Streak.

The former Zimbabwe skipper said GL’s IPL future will depend a lot on how this season pans out. “I think everyone knows that at the moment, we’re in the second year of this franchise, so the future of this franchise, and also for these players, a lot of this bears on how we perform this IPL, and individual for them, their futures,” said Streak.