India’s vice-captain Tilak Varma feels India needs to introspect a few things in bowling after the T20I series against West Indies. The five-match T20I series, which ended in a 2-2 draw after rain played spoilsport in Bengaluru on Saturday, saw high-scoring games as flat pitches were dished out.
Indian rookie bowlers could not execute their plans in the series as he failed to hit the right line and length in crunch situations. The hosts could not defend 249 runs in the second game at Ranchi, and then the visitors posted a par score of 247 runs on the board in the penultimate game in Hyderabad.
Tilak Varma said in the post-match press conference after the fifth game in Bengaluru, “In the batting, every game we have scored 200-plus. That is a big positive as a team. We haven’t got a proper all-rounder in the team. We have changed between Nitish [Reddy] and [Shivam] Dube. Both have done decently well. Nitish scored crucial runs [in Hyderabad]. Unfortunately, we lost the game, but that is a good sign for the team. A youngster coming in and playing that crucial cameo.”
The left-hander said Naman Dhir’s bowling was a huge positive. The off-spinner scalped five wickets in as many games.
“Also, Naman [Dhir] bowling under pressure against the West Indies big guns. There are a few good points. As a team, we have to introspect a few things in the bowling. Hopefully, we will do well in the coming New Zealand series,” Varma added.
Meanwhile, Dhir scored a fine cameo of six-ball 24 in the final game of the series. Varma said Dhir can bat in the middle order as well as the lower order.
He concluded, “He also bats in the lower order. It’s too early to judge where he can bat, but he has the skills. We know how talented he is. Hopefully, he can come up with good cameos for the team wherever he bats.”
India will next play five T20Is against New Zealand, starting October 22.
