IND vs AUS 2022: “I’ll be very concerned about Team India’s bowling” - Wasim Jaffer after Men in Blue failed to defend 208 in Mohali

Wasim Jaffer has admitted that Team India’s bowling performances in recent matches have emerged as a major concern for the side heading into the T20 World Cup.

On Tuesday, September 20, India failed to defend a total of 208 in the first T20I in Mohali against Australia. In the Super 4 matches of the Asia Cup 2022 as well, Team India’s bowlers were found wanting.

Reflecting on India’s four-wicket defeat in the opening T20I of the three-match series against the Aussies, Jaffer said that Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal need to pull up their socks.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, he commented:

“I’ll be very concerned about Team India’s bowling. Bhuvneshwar Kumar hasn’t been at his best. The way he has bowled at a death, it’s a huge concern going into the World Cup. Harshal Patel, you can sympathize with him. He’s just coming out of an injury. But, it shows how much India are dependent on Jasprit Bumrah.”

Bhuvneshwar ended with figures of 0 for 52 from his four overs in the Mohali T20I. He once again bowled the 19th over of the innings, which went for 16 runs.

He struggled at the death in the Asia Cup as well, conceding 19 and 14 runs while bowling the penultimate overs in the Super 4 matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, respectively.

On leg-spinner Chahal, the former India opener added that he looks very flat when the pitch does not offer any assistance. Jaffer elaborated:

“Chahal, when the conditions are against him, he hasn’t got a lot of variety. I’ll be concerned going into the World Cup with Chahal as my main spinner. I’ll be looking at Ravi Bishnoi because he gives you something different. In the one game he bowled against Pakistan, he bowled some difficult overs.”

Chahal ended with figures of one for 42 in 3.2 overs in the T20I against Australia in Mohali on Tuesday. Barring the Super 4 game against Sri Lanka, he too had a poor Asia Cup campaign.

Bishnoi, meanwhile, has been named as one of the standby players in Team India’s T20 World Cup squad.

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“I would be keen to have a look at Deepak Chahar” - Wasim Jaffer suggests one change for Team India

Asked if he would make any changes for the remaining two games of the series, Jaffer said that he would like to try out Deepak Chahar in the wake of Bhuvneshwar’s poor performances.

The 44-year-old commented:

“We have seen Bhuvi struggle at the death quite often. I would be keen to have a look at Deepak Chahar. He can bat as well; he swings the ball and is a genuine wicket-taker in the powerplay.”

Like Bishnoi, Chahar, who recently made a comeback from injury, is also one of the standby players in Team India’s squad for the T20 World Cup.