Ind vs Eng 2021: Bhuvneshwar Kumar told us that the slower ball will work well – Shardul Thakur

India’s all-rounder Shardul Thakur has revealed that the team’s experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar told all the bowlers that the slower delivery will work well after bowling the first over. Kumar was able to strike in the first over as he plumbed Jos Buttler to give a perfect start to his team.

Kumar has all the experience under his belt and he was able to make the most of it. Bhuvneshwar’s advice worked wonders for the team as the England batsmen struggled to get going against the slower balls. The Indian seamers rolled their fingers over the ball in the fag end of England’s batting innings and thus the hosts conceded only 35 runs in the last five overs.

The visitors were able to post a sub-par score of 164 runs at the end of their 20 overs after Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to bowl first. Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar were the pick of the Indian bowlers as they conceded only 29 runs in their four-overs quota and also scalped two wickets apiece. On the other hand, Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 28 runs in his four overs and also took a wicket.

“Bhuvneshwar bowled the first over. He immediately conveyed to all the bowlers and the captain that the ball is gripping nicely on the pitch, so the slower one will work well,” said Thakur while talking to Star Sports after the game. 

“We changed our plans immediately and we thought bowling maximum slower ones on this pitch will give a lot of trouble for the batsmen to play their shots. And that is what happened, they faced difficulties in playing shots and we got wickets also along with that,” added Shardul Thakur.

Thakur also added that it is good to sometimes bowl with a cross-seam as the ball behaves differently depending on which side it lands on the pitch.

“We play a lot on dry pitches in India. When we bowl cross-seam, it sometimes hits on the seam and on the hemisphere at other times. Even the bowlers don’t know if that ball will bounce or skid. So, I think it is a very good variation to use especially on dry pitches,” said Thakur. 

“The experience I have got from the games I have played in the IPL or for the country, especially in Indian conditions, I have come to the conclusion that if we keep using cross-seam deliveries along with seam-up deliveries, they will be quite effective,” signed off Shardul Thakur.

Thakur also has a good back off the hand slower delivery and bowled in the right areas against England. The third T20I will take place at the same venue of Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday.