In the first T20I match against Australia on Tuesday (September 20) in Mohali, Team India's death bowling woes were again brought to light as the visitors successfully chased down a lofty target of 209 with 5 balls remaining.

In their 4-over spells, Harshal Patel and Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 49 and 52 runs respectively, about half of total Australia needed to chase.

Harshal made a comeback to the national team after recovering from a rib injury and has been named in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad.

Sanjay Manjrekar, the former cricketer for India, has expressed concerns about Harshal Patel's effectiveness in Australian conditions when India flies there for the T20 World Cup in less than 15 days. 

He reckoned that if the pitches down under are flat and bouncy, Patel’s slower balls might not be as effective.

"Harshal is someone we've seen for a number of years. We've seen him in the IPL as well. He's a guy who revels when the pitch is dry when his slower ball becomes really slow and becomes very difficult to play.

"Last time his slower balls were going at around 120kmph. So, it's not a huge drop in pace. So, Harshal is a worry if the pitch is flat, bouncy, and pacy. That's what you'll get in Australia. So that's another thing that India will be mindful of, the skills of Harshal in Australia," Manjrekar told Sports18.

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The 31-year-old was belted earlier this year in Ireland on a flat wicket, conceding 54 runs in his 4-over spell. The team management has backed the seamer’s ability to take wickets in the slog overs for the upcoming T20 World Cup even though he has bowled at an economy rate of over 9 runs this year.

After losing the 1st T20I on Tuesday, Rohit Sharma needs to win the 2nd T20I on Friday (September 23) in Nagpur to stay alive in the series.

(NEWS18 INPUTS)