Umran Malik made his India ODI debut along with Arshdeep Singh when the Men in Blue took on New Zealand in the first of the three ODIs at Eden Park in Auckland on November 25, 2022. However, the visitors ended up on the losing side by 7 wickets.
India made 306/7 with Shreyas Iyer (80), Shikhar Dhawan (72), and Shubman Gill (50) being the main scorers, with Washington Sundar providing the finishing touches with 37* in 16 balls.
However, a 221*-run fourth wicket partnership between Kane Williamson (94*) and Tom Latham (145*) proved to be too much for Indian bowlers as New Zealand romped home by 7 wickets in hand and 17 balls to spare.
While Arshdeep Singh went wicketless on his debut, Umran Malik picked two scalps of Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell and also clocked a speed of 153.1 kph during his spell. He finished with 2/66 in his 10 overs.
Zaheer Khan And Ajit Agarkar were mightily impressed with Umran’s bowling and were happy that India finally has a pacer who bowls at superfast speed and mentioned that he should be groomed to be a strike bowler who takes wickets.
“He was great. He started very well. And the pace which everyone has been talking about that is his strength, he backed it. Towards the latter half, there are some learnings for sure but it's just the first game for him at this level. It is about going out there, enjoying the moment and giving it all. I think he had a good debut. You can overlook the runs right now but what is important for a bowler like him, who is bowling at that kind of pace, it is the wicket-taking intent. That was good, and the body language was good too. All the little fine-tuning he will figure as he moves along in his career. But what's important is that he should back his strength and look to bowl as quick as possible. He showed decent control and should continue with that," Zaheer said on Prime Video, the official broadcaster.
"You need variety in your bowling attack. You have used different bowlers for different things. When you look at Umran, you have got to look at him as a wicket-taker. Let him flourish as a bowler who is going to be that striker of your attack. He someone who is probably not thinking about runs. He will leak runs in the process but you have got to take it in your stride and just back him to be free. That is something which is very important. You can either have really good pace or control. Till the time he is bowling quick, you have to let him be free. Just make sure you tell him... 'You see that wickets, attack those stumps'," Zaheer added.
On the other hand, Agarkar said that to expect a young tearaway bowler to show both pace and accuracy is too much and that someone of Umran's calibre should be allowed to express himself freely.
"When someone is as raw as he is, I think he had a brilliant day. I agree with Zak because he gave India the control and the wickets which kept them in the game. 306 as Shreyas said India thought they were above par but with the dimensions of the ground, when there is a set batter, it becomes difficult to stop. He got India the wickets they needed - Conway and then Mitchell - so he got India back in the game, bowled exceptionally well," Agarkar added.
"We don't expect a young bowler, who is a tear away, to come and bowl on the right line and lengths immediately. That is what gives them the X-Factor. He was very impressive because he showed that control at the start. I think he had a terrific debut and lots to look forward to. There are lots of bowlers who can bowl line and length but very few who can get it up to 150. That's a special ability to have. You've got to nurture it and give him that confidence," he signed off.
The second ODI will be played in Hamilton on Nov 27, Sunday.
(Prime Video inputs)
