Ravichandran Ashwin praised Arshdeep Singh’s crucial 19th over and Abhishek Nayar hailed Jasprit Bumrah’s game-changing spell against West Indies in the Super 8 match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
India sealed a T20 World Cup semi-final spot on the back of a briliant unbeaten 97 by opener Sanju Samson in the Super 8 match against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday.
Key Points
- Despite finishing wicketless and conceding 43 runs, Arshdeep’s execution was termed “crucial” by Ashwin.
- Arshdeep has taken 8 wickets in 6 matches in the tournament at an economy of 7.77.
- Abhishek Nayar hailed Jasprit Bumrah as a “cheat code” for his versatility across phases.
However, it was the pace bowlers who contributed by restricting the Windies batters to a score of under 200.
Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on seamer Arshdeep Singh for his brilliant 19th over under pressure.
Arshdeep went wicketless in the match and gave away 43 in four overs, but in the second last over of the innings, with big hitters Rovman Powell and Jason Holder on the crease, Singh conceded just six runs.
'Arshdeep Singh gave more than 40 runs from four overs, but maybe his 19th over was underrated. People always make decisions seeing no wickets. We are used to seeing the Purple Cap in the IPL. He did not get a wicket, but the execution in the 19th over, even if he did not get a wicket, completely broke their momentum. It was a crucial over. West Indies could have ended up 210-220 as well,' he said on his YouTube Channel Ash ki Baat.
Singh has had a decent outing in the T20 World Cup so far, he has grabbed 8 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 21.37 and an economy rate of 7.77.
Ashwin believes India's bowling in the last two to three games has been slightly off and said they are making small mistakes.
'In the last two to three games, I feel India's bowling, slightly, the execution has not been flash. There is a lot of ability, but they are making small mistakes. You need to know exactly when to be defensive and when to attack. I don't want to pick instances, but at least on three to four occasions, where we could have bowled deliveries to shut down, we have not done that.
'It is my only issue. If you are playing a tight game and giving away boundaries just because you are looking for a wicket, it is somewhat not okay, and those 15-20 runs could cost heavily,' he stated.
'Jasprit Bumrah is a cheat code'
Former India cricketer and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar lavished praise on Jasprit Bumrah's twin burst in an over to stall the West Indies' charge.
Speaking on Star Sports, Nayar said, 'Jasprit Bumrah is a cheat code. You bring him with the new ball, in the middle overs, or at the death. He never disappoints. He always delivers. The wicket of Shimron Hetmyer set it up for India. Hetmyer was looking very dangerous in these conditions. As a fast bowler, you think yorker or a bouncer. But to bowl a length ball there and get a wicket is very difficult to execute.
'Then he bowled a brilliant slow ball to get rid of Roston Chase. That broke the back of the West Indies batting. Both batters were set. To get two set batters in one over just demoralises the opposition. Bumrah was brilliant as ever,' he concluded.
India now face England in the semi-final on Thursday.
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