England pacers delivered a barrage of bouncers to dismantle India's youthful batting lineup in the T20I series.
Rohit Sharma's elite proficiency against short-pitched bowling makes him a massive addition to India's batting order for the three-ODI series against England, reckons former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
During the T20I series, England's bowling unit aggressively used a barrage of bouncers to exploit and dismantle India's youthful batting lineup, targeting key players like Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan.
Speaking on JioStar, Nayar highlighted both Rohit and captain Shubman Gill possess the necessary technique to neutralize pace and score heavily in demanding SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) conditions.
“In the T20 series as well, one of the biggest challenges for the Indian batters was the short ball. Rohit Sharma is someone who actually feeds off it and scores heavily against short-pitched bowling. When you do well in SENA countries and overseas, it's partly because you can handle pace well and score runs against the short ball, and that's exactly what India will get from both Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma,” Nayar said.
"England will have to change their strategy and bowl differently to them. That's what top players do; they don't change the way they play, they make the opposition change the way, they target them. India will certainly enjoy having Rohit Sharma back, and when you go into big series and major tournaments, that experience gives you the comfort and confidence you need," he added.
Nayar welcomed Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the ODI setup, highlighting that the fast bowler's vast experience is crucial for transitioning back to 50-over cricket after a lengthy hiatus.
“With experience, you understand how to manage your workload. I'm sure he will be bowling, monitoring his overs, and gradually building up his fitness and conditioning to bowl those 10 overs. The kind of skill set Jasprit Bumrah has is invaluable in the longer formats and in 50-over cricket, where you can bowl in spells know when to increase your pace and when to use your slower balls, which are very effective.
"That's the beauty of Bumrah; he knows how to elevate his game. He played the entire IPL, so he has been building up towards this. With Bumrah, you just want to manage him carefully. Even across these three games, you would ideally want him to play no more than two," the former India all-rounder stated.
He also backed left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to thrive in English conditions if given consistent team support.
"Kuldeep has done well when he's got the pace of the pitch to work with. Even though he didn't have a great IPL, one thing I've really enjoyed seeing about Kuldeep Yadav is that he has learned to vary his pace," Nayar said.
"There was a time when he was bowling quicker and not tossing the ball up enough, but he has found the right balance now. I feel the conditions in England will suit him because when he gets that pace off the surface, he becomes even more dangerous.
"The only thing I'm concerned about is how much security you can give Kuldeep Yadav. For any spinner, it's important to have that security, to know where you stand and how the team plans to use you. If he starts, I believe he should get a consistent run in the Indian team," he remarked.
The first ODI of the England versus India series will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday (July 14). The visitors will look to turn things around in the 50-over assignment, having suffered a 4-0 whitewash in T20Is.
(With IANS Inputs)