Punjab Kings didn’t utilise young Arshdeep Singh properly during the just-concluded IPL but the left-arm pacer can be very effective during the death overs at the T20 World Cup along with Jasprit Bumrah, reckons former India pacer Rudra Pratap Singh. The left-arm seamer got 19 wickets from 14 games but an economy rate of 10.03, primarily due to the ‘impact player’ onslaught left him a bit dazed. RP Singh, India’s bowling hero in the 2007 edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa, said he will prefer Arshdeep over Mohammed Siraj.
“If we assess Arshdeep on the basis of his IPL performance, I think he hasn’t been utilised well,” RP Singh said while replying to a PTI query during a promotional event where the Indian team’s jersey was unveiled for the inaugural World Championship of Legends.
“The utilisation of the bowlers also depends on their captain, in which conditions he uses them, in which situation he makes them bowl and how best that he thinks his bowler is.” RP Singh, feels that wicket at Nassau County will be on the slower side and Arshdeep rather than bowling pacey length deliveries should focus on cutters.
“Talking about the length on the tracks in USA during an early morning start, as per my understanding, there should a bit of slowness in the wicket. So, the ideal length will be somewhere around just short of good length.
“There will be not a lot of swing for the bowlers but the bowlers with variations, not only just yorkers but also slower ones, leg and off cutters. These deliveries will be utilised a bit more by Arshdeep, so the success rate will be automatically higher for him and that’s what I understand the wickets in the US.” RP feels that Jasprit Bumrah should ideally bowl three overs in the back-10 as that would put pressure on opposition batting unit.
“Death bowling is really important in T20 cricket. Bumrah may bowl three overs in the death. He is our mainstay there. My preference alongside Bumrah in the death is Arshdeep over Siraj because of the variations he has. I think Siraj can be impactful in a game when he is bowling with the new ball. Otherwise, it should be Bumrah and Arshdeep.” Arshdeep, as a left-armer, will always create those difficult angles for right-handers and hence becomes an important cog in the wheel. The World T20 reserves also has another left-armer in Khaleel Ahmed.
“Left arm pacers are always an advantage especially against right-handed batters. It is not like two or more left-arm seamers can’t play together. Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and I have played in multiple games together.” For the perfect balance, Hardik Pandya needs to bowl his full quota of overs as it would give the team the luxury to play three specialist spinners and a chance to include Yuzvendra Chahal alongside Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in the eleven.
“Hardik bowled in the IPL and bowled four overs so there’s no injury scare. Hardik’s bowling will be important and he will have to bowl all his quota of 4-overs. If Shivam Dube bowls too, then it will be an added advantage for India ahead.
“Shivam may not play some matches initially but whenever he plays, he will perform well and score runs for India.”
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