Cricket News: Analysis: Don’t write off Bhuvneshwar Kumar just yet | Looking at Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s role for India in the T20 World Cup
India will be heading into the 2021 T20 World Cup with an optimistic mindset after attaining two favourable results in the warm up games.
All departments look to be in top shape currently with very little drawbacks as of now. However, a particular point of concern could be premier pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s form with the ball.
Bhuvneshwar has been the national team’s lead fast bowler in the limited-overs format for quite a few years now. He is someone who can often slip under the radar but consistently does the job required of him and in a very fine manner too.
He offers some movement with the new ball early on, and his experience comes in handy during critical moments in the later part of the innings.
Moreover, Bhuvneshwar is quite dependable with the bat as well and over the years has added several new variations to his bowling arsenal.
Yet, there have been apprehensions over him losing a bit of effectiveness during the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) and also the two warm up games.
Is he bowling a yard slower than required? Is Bhuvneshwar unable to take wickets as regularly as before? These are the doubts hovering round an average observer of the game, especially with Mohammed Shami delivering the goods, though at a higher economy rate, at the other end.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s journey as a pacer
It is necessary to understand Bhuvi’s evolution as a pacer firstly. He started off as someone who could swing the ball to a great extent and take wickets early on. However, there was a limitation to that as most of his overs had to be finished off early on in the innings itself.
Gradually, with some experience in the IPL, Bhuvneshwar began honing his death-bowling skills. He added the knuckle deliveries, wide yorkers, block-hole yorkers, slower bouncers and other such variations to his skillset.
He has always been a canny customer and knows very well the method to use the dimensions of the field to scalp regular wickets.
It is necessary to note that injuries have rather compelled Bhuvneshwar to become a different bowler than how he started. The last few years have been arguably tumultuous for him on that front, as he has had to make comebacks after lengthy layoffs, which culminated in him losing his spot in the Test squad as well.
Why fans should not write off Bhuvneshwar Kumar just yet
However, regardless of the other struggles, Bhuvneshwar has done a mighty fine job in continuing to be one of India’s top pacers alongside Jasprit Bumrah in white-ball cricket.
His enhanced death bowling skills mean that he carries out a dual role in the game now. He tries to extract some swing or movement in the air or off the surface initially. But, he is quick to adjust to the back-of-the-length areas if there isn’t much movement on offer.
At the death, he employs various sorts of deliveries according to the batsman in question and the other prevalent conditions.
Overall, Bhuvneshwar is a very smart individual and not a one-trick pony. He bowls well according to the situation of the game and other surrounding circumstances at that point in time.
It should be reiterated though that his form in the IPL should not be taken as a benchmark to judge his prospective performances for team India.
If one can recall the 2019 IPL season, many were casting doubts over Bhuvneshwar’s form leading up to the World Cup just afterward. However, even back then it can be argued that Bhuvi wasn’t exerting himself completely in the IPL to be ready and raring to go in the World Cup.
He was barely hitting his pace in the IPL but delivered a striking 144 kmph back of the length ball in his very first spell in the World Cup’s opening game vs South Africa.
He took 10 wickets in merely five complete games (actually six, but he got injured after bowling just two overs against Pakistan) in that World Cup and even delivered figures of 10-1-43-3 in the crucial Semi Final vs New Zealand.
That’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar for you. He always ends up delivering more than what is expected of him. His economy rate in T20Is is a mighty impressive 6.9 RPO despite playing over 50 games for India. In 2021 itself, Bhuvi has scalped nine wickets in eight T20Is at an economy rate of 6.11, which includes five games against England!
The pacer from Meerut knows how to manage his body well. He goes about his business with a sense of responsibility towards the larger objectives and tends to peak at the right stage of any match or tournament as well.
Even in the warm ups, he started terribly against England but came back strongly with figures of 4-0-27-1 against Australia in the second game. There is a reason that captains right from MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and even Rohit Sharma keep faith in Bhuvi and entrust his to deliver the difficult overs at regular intervals.
There are doubts over him losing some bit of incisive edge in his bowling but come the big game and Bhuvneshwar will arguably rise up to the occasion again.
He will be hitting the right lengths at a good pace in the beginning and bring in his variations to the table towards the fag end of the campaign. With the right captaincy, field settings and utilization, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s impact can be optimised by the Indian setup in the T20 World Cup. Against all odds.
Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter
