"Has struggled while bowling in death overs" - Danish Kaneria on Harshal Patel

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has expressed concerns over the death bowling of Indian pacer Harshal Patel after the first T20I between India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday, January 3.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaneria pointed out that Harshal had performed underwhelmingly with the ball towards the backend of the innings. He opined that tearaway fast bowler Umran Malik could prove to be a better death-over specialist for the Men in Blue.

He explained:

"Harshal Patel has struggled while bowling in death overs. He bowled a no-ball and a wide in the penultimate over. But Shivam Mavi, who played his first T20I match, was right on target. He knew the areas that he needed to hit. However, Harshal is clearly struggling."

He added:

"The Indian team management should consider bowling Umran Malik during the death overs. Umran could be a better option than Harshal, as he has a great yorker and bouncer in his arsenal."

Notably, Harshal Patel has struggled for form lately. While he was touted as the solution to India's death over concerns, he has looked like a pale version of himself since his return to the side after a rib injury.

The right-arm pacer conceded 41 runs from his full quota of four overs and bagged two wickets in the T20I series opener against Sri Lanka.

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"It never looked like it was his debut game" - Danish Kaneria on Shivam Mavi's maiden T20I outing

Indian pacer Shivam Mavi had a dream start to his T20I career, bagging four wickets against Sri Lanka. Kaneria highlighted that the youngster looked very confident, never making it seem like it was his first appearance in international cricket.

The former spinner opined that playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has benefited Indian youngsters tremendously and has prepared them for the big stage. Kaneria added:

"It was a dream debut for Shivam Mavi. When a bowler gets a wicket early on, it gives him immense confidence. Bowling such a spectacular delivery to get a wicket in your very first over boosts the morale of the player significantly. It never looked like it was his debut game."

He also said:

"He looked very confident. The great thing about the IPL is that it prepares youngsters for the international level. He was ready for the opportunity and seized it when it finally came his way."

Mavi was the pick of the Indian bowlers in the first T20I and he received praise from all quarters for his inspired spell. He was instrumental in the Men in Blue defending the target of 163 and securing a thrilling two-run win to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.