The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : India will want to work on bowling in the middle overs

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India will want to work on bowling in the middle overs

Irfan Pathan has been a key bowler in this phase and, even when he’s gone for runs, he’s struck, writes Anil Kumble

Bangladesh put up a strong showing against India and did well to get up to 283 but, in the end, India showed — in good batting conditions — that they had the firepower to easily overhaul the target. Gautam Gambhir was the man who did the early hard work, buckling down and ensuring that India scored at a healthy pace even after Robin Uthappa was dismissed early.

It’s always important to cash in when you’re in good form and Gambhir is doing just that.

Suresh Raina is another who has taken the opportunity up the order in a reassuring manner. We all knew he had the talent. But for him to perform consistently in a variety of situations can only be good for Indian cricket.

Seizing opportunity

The game also provided an ideal opportunity to Manpreet Gony and Pragyan Ojha and despite the fact that the former went for runs, I thought they performed creditably. Both these players are just getting a feel for international cricket and it is important that they take as much as they can from the experience before the bigger tests that lie ahead.

India’s continued winning run is good for the whole unit and if there is one thing the think tank must be working on, it is how to bowl in the middle overs of one-day matches. Leading up to the bigger matches in this tournament, the team will want to identify how to bowl in these overs. Irfan Pathan was a key bowler in this phase and, even when he sometimes went for runs, he picked up wickets. If you don’t take wickets and allow the opposition to build partnerships you’re going to be up against big scores.

The one advantage India have is that they are playing all their matches in Karachi and by now they will have a firm grip on the conditions they can expect. By giving all the young bowlers a chance they will also be closer to identifying what the right bowling combination is. The key to future matches will be bowling effectively on flat pitches.

The key to bowling on flat pitches is to stick to the basics as much as possible. You have to bowl wicket to wicket and vary your pace.

It’s not about experimenting too much nor thinking too far ahead but to ensure that the variations you do deploy is in the wicket-to-wicket line so that you hit if the batsman misses. The Indian team will have to identify a bowler they think is most likely to succeed in the middle overs and then stick with him. In a way they may have to gamble a bit, staying with a particular bowler even if he’s going for runs if they believe he can get a crucial breakthrough.

The new ball does a bit and it’s crucial to get wickets up front, but after that initial phase batsmen are likely to have their say.

In conditions like this, it sometimes boils down to one team faltering. So far, India’s batting has held its nerve admirably, and it is not surprising that the results are going in their favour.

Hawkeye Communications

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