Sport

T20 WORLD CUP

India’s Kohli banks on ‘priceless’ Kumar and fearless Ashwin

India’s Kohli banks on ‘priceless’ Kumar and fearless Ashwin
India captain Virat Kohli plays a shot during the fifth T20 International between India and England at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 20 March 2021. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images)

India captain Virat Kohli believes swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar will prove quite a handful with the new ball in the T20 World Cup beginning on Sunday, and said off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s fearless bowling will boost their title hopes.

Going by the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates, swing bowlers could struggle to get any movement on the low and slow pitches in the UAE.

Kumar has built his reputation around his ability to swing the ball, but Kohli said the 31-year-old had other tricks up his sleeve.

“His economy rate still continues to be top notch, something that he’s always been known for, and his experience comes to the fore under pressure,” Kohli said at a pre-tournament media session on Saturday.

“(It’s) his understanding of hitting the areas according to the dimensions of the field, and what balls to bowl and at what line. 

“I’m sure with the new ball he’ll definitely get some kind of assistance, and whatever little is there on offer, Bhuvi knows how to make the maximum use out of that. His experience is going to be priceless.”

Ravichandran Ashwin of India – pictured during the Victoria Bitter One Day International Series against Australia at the WACA in Perth on 12 January 2016 – is ‘bowling with a lot of courage in white-ball cricket’, says captain Virat Kohli. (Photo: Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Ashwin is also back in the Twenty20 fold after a two-year gap and Kohli said it was a just reward for the bowler, who had reinvented himself in the game’s shortest format.

“One thing that Ashwin has really improved on is bowling with a lot of courage in white-ball cricket,” the captain said.

“If you see the IPL in the last couple of years, he’s bowled the difficult overs, he’s bowled against the top players in the IPL, the likes of Polly (Kieron Pollard) and other power-hitters.”

Two-time champions West Indies will begin their title defence with a 23 October match against reigning 50-overs world champions England.

Skipper Pollard said that while six-hitting prowess was their strength, the West Indies are no one-trick pony.

Virat Kholi and Ravichandran Ashwin celebrate the dismissal of George Bailey of Australia during the Victoria Bitter One Day International Series at the WACA in Perth on 12 January 2016. (Photo: Paul Kane/Getty Images)

“A lot of analysts keep harping on dot balls, (lack of) ones and twos,” the all-rounder said.

“For us, everything is important but we still have to play to our strengths.

“We continue to work on our weaknesses and continue to keep our strength as our strength, and let’s see what happens. We have a lot of powerful guys in our line-up, but we also have guys who are able to manoeuvre the strike, run between the wickets.

“We’re looking forward to trying to play complete games of cricket… Then the results take care of themselves.”

Wickets could be good for seamers – Southee

New Zealand’s Tim Southee, one of only two quicks in the top 10 of the T20 bowling world rankings, believes sluggish wickets at the World Cup could work out well for seamers.

Southee joined the Black Caps squad for his fourth T20 World Cup at the weekend after playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders during the recent conclusion of the IPL, also in the United Arab Emirates.

“It was a great experience and no better preparation leading into the World Cup here in the same conditions we’re going to be faced with,” he said.

“The wickets have been slightly different to what you’d usually expect in the UAE, a touch on the slow side. The seamers have actually done a reasonable job with a lot of cutters and banging away into the wickets.

“Encouraging signs for the seamers but with the weather starting to cool down a bit, the wickets I’m sure will improve.”

Tim Southee of New Zealand in action during game two of the International T20 series against Bangladesh at McLean Park in Napier, New Zealand on 30 March 2021. (Photo: Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)

Southee said each of the grounds at Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai have different characteristics, and there were added variations depending on whether matches are played in the day or at night.

New Zealand will play at all three grounds in their Super 12 group matches, which include clashes with India and Pakistan, but Southee believes the Black Caps have the personnel to deal with the changes.

“A strength of this side is adapting to conditions… and it’s about coming up with a plan that suits our side,” he said.

Southee said the shortest international format had changed considerably since his first T20 World Cup in 2010, and not just for swashbuckling batsmen and mystery spinners.

“Seamers (have been) developing different kinds of balls over that time as well,” the 32-year-old said.

“When you go back to the start, you’d just have a yorker and a slower ball and sort of bang away at length. Now, you’ve got so many different types of balls.”

New Zealand open their campaign against Pakistan in Sharjah on 26 October. DM/Reuters

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