India’s preparation for Australia’s test series is no longer about bowlers being able to take 20 wickets, they can, but whether batsmen can cope with Australian pacemakers who are thirsty to make amends for defeat in 2018, cricket legend Kapil Dev said on Friday.
“Let me put it another way. Looking at our rhythm attack, it will be all about the hitters. We’re not sure our hitters score 400 runs (in one inning). If our batsmen don’t fight, we won’t have any problems, ”the 1983 World Cup winning captain said during an interaction at the 2020 Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, where he chatted with senior journalist Ayaz Memon.
India’s preparation for the tour has been about how skipper Virat Kohli’s plan to fly home after the first test for the birth of his first child will affect the team. Kohli played a decisive role as captain and with the bat in India’s historic 2-1 series win in 2018-19.
The other talking point is the return of Steve Smith and David Warner, who missed the last series, as well as the rise of Australia’s most recent hitting star, Marnus Labuschagne.
Jasprit Bumrah’s rise in 2018 led to the formation of one of the best rhythm attacks in the world, alongside Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami and Dev, a pioneer as a genuine fast bowler for India on his debut in 1978, he praised the role of IPL in the development of fast launchers.
“When Brian Lara recently said, ‘I don’t mind facing Kapil, Srinath or Zaheer, but I won’t like playing Bumrah … as a bowler, I’ll say I have no words to express my happiness.’
“Fast bowlers will have a higher value than batsmen. We have batters but we have bowlers who can take 20 wickets. We can produce spinners, but they can’t do it well unless they have fast casters. ”
Kohli Paternity Leave
Dev had no leadership concerns (Ajinkya Rahane will take over when Kohli returns home) and said the boss’s decision was a welcome change.
“I don’t think we can afford (to leave a tour halfway) … Sunil Gavaskar did not see his newborn son for months. Kohli returned the day after her father’s death to play a game of Ranji. Now you can pay (go home). I am happy that today’s athletes can do that … The greatest passion is having a baby ”.
Dev, however, said the split captaincy was not a fit for the Indian temperament as a debate continues over whether Rohit Sharma should be handed over the T20 and ODI captaincy.
“I would like to see the culture. In our culture, one company, two CEOs? No. If Virat plays T20, keep him captain. England, Australia, South Africa … the mentality, the culture is different. Here, he is going to make differences about which captains players should follow ”, he said.
“If Virat can’t play T20, I understand. I am so happy that today we have another person who can do as good a job as the captain. ”
The former world record holder for test bowling expressed concern about players competing in a biobubble and empty stadiums. “It is very difficult for the players. I understand that today (the race) is a 10 year package, most will play during that time. He is not like Sachin Tendulkar (who played 24 years for India).
“It’s not fair,” he said.
While the IPL has made fast bowling rewarding for youngsters, Dev was concerned that some players would focus more on variations like cross stitching and slow bouncers before mastering the basics – straight wrist bowling and making it the ball sways.
Yorker: The best there is, was, will be
“At this IPL, they realized that swing is more important than pace. Even Sandeep Sharma (Sunrisers Hyderabad), threw 120 kilometers per hour, but it was more difficult to face because he was swinging, ”he said.
“They are fleeing from art. That’s why Natarajan (SRH’s left arm closer) was my hero. Yorker. That is the best ball, you can say not today, tomorrow, not even in 100 years. And the outgoing ball. ”
Thangarasu Natarajan established himself as a Yorker specialist and has been selected for the T20 in Australia.
Referring to the challenge of playing the pink ball event in Adelaide, Dev, who was famous for his swingers, said: “Whenever the ball moves, it becomes interesting. Learning to swing bowling should come back. Basic, as they say, a batter must play the “V” first, then he can play cross bat. Likewise, if you can swing the ball, you can throw the ball from your knuckles. ”
The 131-Test veteran said the IPL should make sure the longer format survives.
“In tennis, we still have Wimbledon on grass … Let’s keep the momentum for testing too, (let’s acknowledge) how a Dravid, Gavaskar, built his innings.”
Dev chose Virat Kohli and New Zealander Kane Williamson among the hitters he loves to watch the most. However, he said both Kohli and Steve Smith need to account for the gradual decline in sight.
“Smith and Virat, they are in the same boat … at an age where sight is beginning to decline. They both like to play on the leg side, and both can be candidates for lbw. We used to say that 28 to 34 (age) is the best period, but you have to adjust (for) your eyesight. What happened to Sehwag, Dravid, so many great players?
“Joe Root and Williamson look more compact in that because they don’t play a lot across the board. If Kohli can handle himself for six months, just playing straight: ‘I don’t have to shoot the ball from offside, which is also his favorite shot, then it seems much more dangerous than the others.’ Vista, she’s not 18, she must adapt. ”
As for their selection of bowlers, the choice was easy: Bumrah.
“Bumrah, he’s not an Indian bowler, I say. But when he has to throw 20 overs a day for 3-4-5 trials, he puts so much pressure on his body, shooting from such a short run, so I hope he survives. ”
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