Page 44 - The Indian EYE 090922

SPORTS SEPTEMBER 09, 2022 | The Indian Eye 44

Bhuvneshwar Kumar celebrates a wicket during the match Dinesh Karthik, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel after winning the
between India and Afghanistan Asia Cup Super-Four match

“I see my role as a support to and Kashmir pace sensation Umran
the captain and the team. Helping Malik and pacer Deepak Chahar
the team to get the best out of them- were not considered. He also ques-
selves. But once they are on the field, tioned why in-form wicketkeeper-bat-
it is upto the players and the captain ter Dinesh Karthik has not been giv-
to execute their plans and take the en chances consistently. “Where is
team forward. I think Rohit is pretty Umran malik (150km speed)? Why
relaxed, and pretty much the whole Deepak Chahar (top quality swing
team is. You got to put things in per- bowler) was not there? Tell me if
spective,” said Dravid to broadcasters these guys do not deserve the chanc-
before the match. es ?? Why Dinesh Karthik do not get
“We lost a couple of games on a chances consistently?? Disappoint-
pitch, on a ground that has not been ing.” Harbhajan Singh said.
easy to defend on. Just because we Umran Malik made his interna-
have lost a couple of games, it doesn’t tional debut back in June 2022 against
mean we are a terrible team. I think Ireland after a breakthrough Indian
we do not need to overreact to things. Premier League season with Sunris-
It is a balanced environment, whether ers Hyderabad this year, which saw
we win or we lose. We keep going on him taking 22 wickets in 14 games.
the same path, and the journey con- Since then, he has played just
tinues...,” he added. three T20Is, having taken 2 wickets in
them at an average of 56.00 and an
SHASTRI QUESTIONS DECISION economy rate of 12.44.
Deepak Chahar was also named
TO NOT INCLUDE SHAMI Indian skipper KL Rahul with Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi at the toss as a standby player for Asia Cup 2022,
ormer India coach Ravi Shastri but has not featured in any match
on Thursday raised questions option heading into the Super 4s. the competition. during the tournament. As per sourc-
Fover the exclusion of ace India “You needed that extra one... India’s bowling issues against Sri es, he can replace pacer Avesh Khan
pacer Mohammad Shami from the Someone like Mohammed Shami Lanka arose from their inability to in the squad, who was ruled out of the
Asia Cup squad where the fancied sitting at home and cooling his heels pick up wickets early on. Sri Lanka’s competition due to health reasons.
Indian team lost two consecutive baffles me. After the IPL he had, for openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Chahar made his return from in-
matches and failed to qualify for the him not to be able to make the cut Mendis smashed 97 in 11.1 overs to jury during the tour of Zimbabwe in
final. is... Obviously, I’m seeing something set up the pace for their chase. De- August. He took five wickets in two
Upset over the pacer not being different,” ESPNcricinfo quoted the spite the fact that spinners Yuzvendra matches on that tour.
included in the team, he termed the former coach as saying. Chahal and R Ashwin brought them Dinesh Karthik also made his
decision absolutely baffling. “Mo- Shami had a stellar IPL season with back with four successive wickets, Sri way back into the Indian team af-
hammed Shami sitting at home and debutants Gujurat Titans, who went Lanka had already covered a consid- ter a brilliant IPL season with Royal
cooling his heels baffles me,” ES- on to win their maiden IPL in 2022. erable amount of the target in the ini- Challengers Bangalore, which saw
PNcricinfo quoted Ravi Shastri as The right-arm pacer took 20 tial stages. him prosper as a finisher. He scored
saying. wickets, but more importantly, was HARBHAJAN SINGH QUESTIONS 330 runs in 16 games at an average of
Shastri’s concerns derived pri- in peak fitness as he played in every 55.00. He scored one half-century for
marily from India’s entry into the match (16). His power-play stats were TEAM SELECTION his side.
tournament with only three specialist one of the best, tied with Mukesh Former Indian spinner Harbha- Since returning to the India
fast bowlers. Due to Avesh Khan’s Choudhary in terms of picking wick- jan Singh raised questions over Team team, he has represented the nation
illness, India had to field just two spe- ets. Both the bowlers took 11 wickets India selection after their loss to Sri in 17 matches, having scored 193 runs
cialist pacers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the power-play. His economy of Lanka in their Super Four clash at in 14 innings at an average of 21.44.
and Arshdeep Singh, with all-round- 6.62 was fifth-best among the 14 bowl- the ongoing Asia Cup 2022. His best score is 55 and one half-cen-
er Hardik Pandya as the third seam ers who bowled 20 or more overs in He questioned that why Jammu tury has come out of his bat.

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