Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif reflected on veteran Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s performances in the T20I series against New Zealand. The pacer returned to the national team after four years but has not had the best of starts to his comeback.
Bhuvneshwar proved expensive in the third T20I as well. The worrying part, however, was that he went wicketless once again, returning figures of 0/40 from four overs.
Mohammad Kaif expressed his concern and reckoned that the veteran was not disciplined and consistent enough. He added that Bhuvneshwar might still be slightly nervous but disappointed with his own performance at the same time. In three games, he has just one wicket, giving away 139 runs from 12 overs at an economy rate of 11.58.
“It is a matter of concern now. His pace has dropped a bit. The bowling has not been as disciplined. A lot of things have happened that we are not used to seeing from him. But I still feel that, in phases, he is doing well. Maybe that nervousness is still there. I still feel we should look at him in the remaining two games. He will be disappointed himself. I would want to see what he does in the last two games,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
That said, Mohammad Kaif praised the Indian batters for putting New Zealand under unreal pressure. The batting from the visitors has been top-notch and unbelievable, with the team asserting its dominance through a fearless approach.
“The way India are playing, even the biggest player or captain comes under pressure. I saw Santner. His brain was not working at all in captaincy. He himself came to bowl so late. But when you are getting hit like this, your mind does not work. There was no clarity of thought because of the pressure,” he stated.
The Men in Blue are 3-0 up and have sealed the series with two games remaining. They will aim to carry the momentum and look to complete a 5-0 whitewash victory.
Mohammad Kaif credits Indian batting, head coach, and captain
In the same video, Mohammad Kaif further praised India’s batting and credited the unit for the dominant display in New Zealand. In the third T20I, the Men in Blue chased down 199 runs in just 13.2 overs with six wickets to spare. While the batters had struggled in Ireland and been challenged in Zimbabwe, he hailed them for their gameplay in New Zealand.
Along with the batters, Mohammad Kaif also credited head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer for carrying the team well despite playing back-to-back matches with a lot of travel.
“I would want to credit the Indian batters a lot. This was not an easy series. But the Indian batters have played really well. They never played this well, even in Ireland or Zimbabwe. They have dominated here. This is a big achievement. The team has passed in this test. New Zealand is a very good team. Gautam Gambhir, as a coach, also deserves credit. Credit to Shreyas, the captain, as well. They have maintained the mindset and remained dominant under a tight schedule,” he said.
The fourth T20I will be played in Auckland on Friday, October 30, while the final match of the series will take place in Hamilton on Sunday, November 1.
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Edited by Rishab Vm
