Ahead of the second T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final between India and England, ex-Australia all-rounder Tom Moody has said that Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the edge over Jos Buttler since the former has the ability to swing the ball both ways and the latter struggles when the ball moves.
India and England are due to square off at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (November 10). In the all-important game, the battle between Bhuvneshwar and Buttler will set the tone for either team.
In T20I cricket, Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Buttler five times in eight innings while the England captain has managed to score 30 runs off 32 balls against the Indian seamer.
"The reason that Bhuvi has got his number at the moment is because he swings the ball both ways. Buttler is a great ball striker, but we have seen him struggle in the longer format of the game when the ball moves. There is only a very narrow window where the ball is swinging. So, Bhuvi is a threat upfront when the ball is swinging, particularly to someone like Buttler cause he will swing it both ways," Moody said while speaking on ESPNCricinfo.
"He will either go on the inside of his bat or on the outside of his bat and Buttler is a great clean hitter of the ball but generally when the ball is coming straight up and down. That’s probably why Bhuvi, at the moment, has the edge over him and Arshdeep at the other end will also present the same challenge," he added.
Ahead of the semi-final, however, Jos Buttler expressed his confidence in countering Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
"I’m always confident in my own game. I think there are always certain bowlers that you potentially find harder than others and or at certain times in your career. You have good times against them or bad times against them. But I certainly don’t fear anyone. I always prepare well and I look to play the ball in front of me and not the bowler," said Buttler.
The winner of the semi-final clash between India and England will face Pakistan in the summit clash at MCG on Sunday (November 13).
(India Today inputs)
