Former New Zealand cricketer-turned-commentator Simon Doull has reacted to Indian pacers’ below-par display against the Kiwis in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final in Southampton.
While New Zealand had a great preparation for the WTC 2021 Final having played a two-match Test series against England, Team India was devoid of match practice ahead of the WTC Final at The Ageas Bowl Southampton and the lack of game practice was seen in their performance so far.
As New Zealand's first innings score reads 101/2 in reply to India's 217 all out, India’s pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammad Shami failed to extract a considerable amount of swing from Southampton’s favorable conditions.
Meanwhile, their Kiwi counterparts Kyle Jamieson (5/31), Neil Wagner (2/40), and Trent Boult (2/47) dominated India in the ongoing WTC 2021 Final.
As reported by PTI, Doull said: “New Zealand went into their first Test match at Lord's against England, they had the very same preparation that India had coming into this Test match. New Zealand were in Southampton for around 10-11 days, played intra-squad matches, training practices and when they turned at Lord's they looked pretty set and ready to go.”
He added, “Tim Southee bowled beautifully, Devon Conway came straight out of 10 days of a net session here and scored a double hundred at Lord's. They looked like they were prepared and ready to go.”
The former Kiwi pacer further mentioned that the Indian cricket team lacked an out-and-out swing bowler in the playing eleven barring Ishant Sharma for the WTC Final in Southampton.
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The 51-year-old pointed out, “They are not genuine swing bowlers. I know Jasprit Bumrah can swing the ball, Ishant is more of a swing bowler, he comes round the wicket with that angle wrist takes the ball away. He does take the ball away from the left-handers and into the right-handers.”
He signed off by saying, “Mohammad Shami has never really been a genuine swing bowler. He is a seam bowler and always bowls upright. To me, it is not Bumrah, Shami it is more Ishant Sharma. I did however expect the ball might seam a little bit more. Shami and Bumrah at times found it but they were not just consistent enough.”
(With PTI Inputs)
