Former Indian Opener Sunil Gavaskar believes that despite doing well for the team in limited opportunities, newly-crowned World No.1 T20 bowler Ravi Bishnoi has a lot to learn in the game. Despite performing well for the squad against Australia in a five-match T20 series, the 23-year-old was dropped from India’s playing XI for the second T20 against South Africa.
Ravi Bishnoi now keeps the top spot in the ICC Men T20 bowler rankings. The right-arm wrist spinner was named Player of the Series in the recent T20I series against Australia, which India won 4-1. He finished with nine wickets in five games, averaging 18.22 and an economy rate of 8.20, bowling under difficult circumstances.
Sunil Gavaskar believes that the pitch for the second T20 International against South Africa was tailor-made for Ravindra Jadeja rather than Ravi Bishnoi, as the batters may find it difficult to walk him down the track to hit. He believes that the young leg-spinner is still in the learning process in International Cricket and believes that faster balls by Bishnoi would be easy for the batters to hit on certain conditions.
“If there is a bit of turn from the pitch, I think Jadeja [could inflict most damage]. He bowls so flat that he doesn’t allow the batter any chance to go down the pitch and attack him. So if there’s just a bit of assist, his four overs could be telling as far as India are concerned.”
“Ravi Bishnoi… still finding his feet at the international level. Yes, he is the No. 1 T20 bowler in the world but again, if you get stuck into him, sometimes you tend to see him bowl faster and quicker. The faster you bowl on a good pitch, it gets that much easier for the batters because the pace is exactly what they are looking for,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
Ravi Bishnoi has 34 wickets in 21 T20Is, at an economy of 17.38. Surprisingly, he has only appeared in 13 of the team’s 21 victories this season and the youngster would be an x-factor player for the team in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
They Had To Keep Wiping It Which Is Never Easy – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar claimed that the circumstances were difficult for Indian bowlers in the second game against the Proteas because the ball was too wet, and he praised South African batters for their outstanding chase in the game on Tuesday.
“It wasn’t easy for the Indian bowlers. You could see that the ball was very wet. They had to keep wiping it which is never easy. Because the ball feels like soap in your hands. Even for the fielders, as the ball comes in and suddenly slips. Things didn’t go India’s way but compliments to South Africa on a well-organised chase,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
The Indian bowlers lacked variation and control while bowling in adverse conditions. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and right-arm pacer Mukesh Kumar were taken to the cleaner by the South African opener. With the T20 World Cup 2024 rapidly approaching, the Men in Blue would be keen to get a bowling combination right before the marquee event.
