In a recent analysis of India’s cricket match performance, Gautam Gambhir, the former India batter, has offered a vote of confidence to pacer Mohammed Siraj following a less-than-ideal performance in the second T20I against South Africa on Tuesday. Although Siraj’s initial over cost the team 14 runs, he redeemed himself by allowing only 13 runs in the subsequent two overs and secured a wicket. Gambhir’s commentary did not stop with Siraj as he shared his thoughts on Arshdeep Singh’s outing in the match as well. Singh conceded a hefty 31 runs in merely two overs, 24 of those in his maiden over itself.
Furthermore, Gambhir praised Mukesh Kumar, despite the pacer conceding runs over his three-over spell. “I feel that Mohammed Siraj will bowl much worse than this and yet finish with better figures. I was slightly disappointed with Arshdeep since after his first over, the Powerplay was complete, and conditions became difficult with the ball getting wet and slippery. On the other hand, the 13th over bowled by Mukesh was exceptional, featuring pinpoint yorkers with a wet ball and against a player of David Miller’s caliber. Those are significant positives. If we encounter drier conditions going forward, our bowling unit’s appearance will be vastly different,” commented Gambhir during a segment on Star Sports.
As India prepares for the next T20 World Cup, Gambhir suggested that the focus should shift from the outcomes of bilateral series to identifying a core group of bowlers who can handle the pressure of death overs. “A bilateral series 6-7 months before the World Cup doesn’t carry much significance. What India would want is to give their bowlers a test of their mettle. The crucial question is how sturdy is your squad’s death-over bowling, and who can stand as another option alongside Jasprit Bumrah when the T20 World Cup arrives? Close monitoring of these aspects is more crucial than the series outcomes,” he added, emphasizing the need for strategic long-term planning.
In weather-affected play, Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh made impressive scores with rapid half-centuries, but South Africa relentlessly pursued a revised target and achieved a win in the second T20I by five wickets as per the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. India had managed to post 180 runs for seven wickets when rain curtailed their inning with three deliveries to spare. Post the interruption, the South African target was adjusted to 152 runs from 15 overs.
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