However, In the T20 World Cup 2021 match against Pakistan, former India pacer Zaheer Khan says Virat Kohli should have begun the bowling with Jasprit Bumrah instead of bringing him in the third over.
Kohli started with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with Mohammed Shami bowling the second over, after a poor total of 151 against Pakistan in Dubai. Pakistan’s openers had fallen into a nice rhythm by the time Bumrah came on to deliver the third over.
On Sunday, Pakistan defeated India by ten wickets in a T20 World Cup match for the first time in history. In Group 2 of the Super 12s, Mohammad Rizwan (79 not out) and captain Babar Azam (68 not out) both hit unbeaten half-centuries to help Pakistan to 152-0 in 17.5 overs.
“You make your plans before the game, but once you’re in it, you simply have to go with it – and maybe adjust some of your plans.” Perhaps Bumrah could have been utilized in a different way. You had underutilized Bumrah by the end of the game.
Zaheer Khan
“They could have gone for their trump card right up front rather than getting him into the game in the third over. Starting with him might have turned things around a bit,” Zaheer Khan told.
“But these are things in hindsight. At times, you stick to the strategy which you have made. I am sure the think-tank in the innings break would have thought about it and chosen otherwise. But who would have expected that the two openers would just carry the innings through, ” he added.
Furthermore, while the dew factor played a role, Zaheer Khan credited Pakistan for applying pressure on India to win their first-ever T20 World Cup encounter against their arch-rivals.
“The dew factor was a factor.” Having said that, if you know dew will be a concern, you’ll need an extra cushion of 20-25 runs on the board just to remain on top of things.
But that was not the case today. Throughout the game, Pakistan appeared to be in complete command. They demonstrated their intent, and it was clear that India was always attempting to catch up in this game.
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