Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Naman Dhir for making significant improvements in his bowling after India registered a 14-run win against the West Indies at the Holkar Stadium, Indore on Sunday.
Dhir returned with figures of 2-39 in three overs he bowled. Just like his debut, Dhir scalped both wickets after getting hit for a six. The off-spinner got the big wicket of Shimron Hetmyer and West Indies opener Kamil Pooran.
Dhir bowled a arm ball to bamboozle Hetmyer, who was earlier dropped by Abhishek Sharma at first slip off Mayank Yadav’s bowling whereas Pooran was caught at deep fine leg.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “He is not a regular frontline off-spinner, but there has been significant improvement in his bowling, and he is bowling fearlessly. I really like what he is doing. He is emerging as another option for India as an off-spinning all-rounder. He was a little expensive yesterday, but he picked up Shimron Hetmyer’s wicket, which was a crucial breakthrough. Let’s leave out Kamil Pooran’s wicket, as that came towards the end after a big over. But, I thought he showed all the signs of a bowler who is ready to step up and learn.”
The former CSK all-rounder pointed out that Dhir is willing to learn and improve at the top stage. Dhir has definitely shown that he can chip in some crucial overs for the team.
Ashwin concluded, “He made a few execution errors yesterday, bowling slightly fuller than intended. That happens to bowlers. You don’t find the right length every day, in every condition or at every ground. Quite often, because of the ground conditions, the pitch may be slightly elevated, which affects your length. In Indore, the bowler’s run-up will be on a lower level while the pitch is elevated. In those conditions, your front-foot landing might not be timed properly, causing you to pitch the ball slightly fuller. The more he bowls in different conditions, the more he will learn naturally. However, he is willing to learn and is showing that as well.”
The fourth T20I between India and the West Indies will be played at Hyderabad on Wednesday.
