Former Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik opined that veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar could not handle his nerves in the first T20I against New Zealand. Kumar made a comeback to India’s playing XI after almost four years in the first T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Thursday.
The swing seamer conceded only four runs in his first over after Shreyas Iyer decided to bowl first. However, he was taken for 17 runs in his second over by Finn Allen and Tim Seifert. Kumar eventually went wicketless in his four-over spell and conceded 49 runs in his quota of four overs, including two wides and as many no-balls.
Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz, “It was the no-balls that did him in. He’s not somebody who generally bowls no-balls. I am not sure why, but it may have been a bit of nerves. Two no-balls in a game is unheard of for him. So I would put it down to the fact that he’s not as ready as he would want to be. But if we look closely, his first and last overs were very good. However, the second and third overs had no-balls in it and that reflects in his analysis, as those were huge overs.”
The RCB mentor urged the fans and experts to cut Bhuvneshwar some slack after a tough return to Indian colors.
“A lot of fans may be critical, but it’s his first day back in international cricket. So cut him some slack. But he has to be aware that no-balls are not a habit he wants to develop. He knows he’s better than that. But was he as good as he could be? Definitely not,” said Karthik (via the aforementioned source).
India registered a four-wicket win as they chased down 226 after Sanju Samson and Naman Dhir scored 67 and 42 runs, respectively.
The second T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Saturday.
